A 23-year-old woman with a rare sleep condition has "lost so many years" because of her "insatiable appetite for sleep". Helena Smythe revealed how she feels tired all day - no matter how well she sleeps at night - and has to take daily naps of at least two hours.
She has a little-known condition called Idiopathic hypersomnia, also known as Excessive Daytime Sleepiness. Helena explained how she has fallen asleep in an A-Level exam and passed up invitations with friends as she needs to nap.
She said: "I have an insatiable appetite for sleep and while some people can just perk themselves up with a coffee or some caffeine, that doesn’t work for me.
