Student sleeps for three weeks at a time because of illness

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Student sleeps for three weeks at a time because of illness

Her condition was diagnosed as Kleine-Levin Syndrome, which is a rare disorder.

By Web Report

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Published: Tue 26 Mar 2019, 12:28 PM

Last updated: Tue 26 Mar 2019, 6:56 PM

A 21-year-old woman from Leicester is suffering from a rare 'sleeping beauty syndrome' that puts her to sleep for up to three weeks.
When the sleeping spell hits, the woman apparently only wakes up to eat junk food, drink and go to the toilet.
Rhoda Rodriguez-Diaz, a student at De Montfort University in Leicester, was dismissed from university last year after she missed a number of coursework deadlines and fell asleep during her exams. When she finally got a diagnosis from a GP, the university acknowledged her as an 'exceptional case' and have allowed her to re-take her second year of studies.
"Life goes on whilst I'm sleeping. Reality hits me when I wake up and realise I've missed like a week of my life. I feel a huge setback when it does happen. That's the hardest part of it," Metro.co.uk quoted Rodriguez-Diaz as saying.
Her condition was diagnosed as Kleine-Levin Syndrome which is a rare disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of excessive sleep, excessive food intake and behavioural changes.
During her last sleeping episode which occurred about three months ago, Rodriguez-Diaz slept for over 60 hours in just three days. "It's hard to explain to people where I have been. Because it's so rare a lot of people struggle to understand. My friends say they can tell when I have an episode coming on because my mood changes," Rodriguez-Diaz said. 
The disorder leaves her feeling 'depressed' as she misses out on a lot and struggles with social isolation. As a child she was diagnosed with hyper insomnia characterised by tiredness and struggled to cope with life at school. She would fall asleep in the study area and found it difficult to join in with sports due to her constant tiredness.
"I forced myself to go to school. I didn't get teased but I found it very frustrating," Rodriguez-Diaz said, adding that as an adult she has learnt to manage her condition better.
Fortunately, people suffering with Kleine-Levin Syndrome often grow out of it eventually. "This is just a hiccup in my life and I am just waiting until it fades out. I want to be taken serious in life and this isn't helping. I'm determined to not let it have a big impact on my life. It is one part of me and not who I am," Rodriguez-Diaz said.


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