Not All Fairytales Have a Happy Ending: Sleeping Beauty Syndrome
Not All Fairytales Have A Happy Ending: Sleeping Beauty Syndrome
Off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure, straight and tall! To wake his love with "loves ' first kiss"! And prove that "true love" conquers all! – Sleeping Beauty
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep forever? It won’t seem like a bad thing for us sleep-deprived-busy-bodies. But for those who suffer from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, will it be like a fairy tale? In the fairy tale a simple kiss can wake up the princess and there’s always a happy ending. But did you notice that when the princess fell asleep, she was unable to move forward and remained stuck in bed while the world outside keeps on living? Did you notice that the princess became oblivious to what was happening around her and that life passed her by? She was fortunate because she had her Knight in shining armor to wake her. But will that be the same if it were to happen to us? In real life a simple kiss can’t save those who suffer from Sleeping Beauty disorder. In real life, the world will continue on living while they sleep and leave them behind. Time won’t wait for them and they won’t have a whole castle that will fall asleep with them. For them, it’s always a never ending nightmare.
But first, is there even such a thing as “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”? According to the description found at the KLS Foundation (2009) site: “Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS), also known as “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”, is a rare and complex neurological disorder characterized by periods of excessive amounts of sleep and altered behavior.” It is not to be confused with Sleeping Princess syndrome or Somnophilia. People affected by KLS may sleep for up to 20 hours per day (hypersomnia), waking only to eat or go to the bathroom. The start of each episode is characterized by progressive drowsiness and episodes may last for days, weeks, or even months (Southern Cross Healthcare Group, 2009).
This disorder occurs among adolescents,
Off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure, straight and tall! To wake his love with "loves ' first kiss"! And prove that "true love" conquers all! – Sleeping Beauty
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep forever? It won’t seem like a bad thing for us sleep-deprived-busy-bodies. But for those who suffer from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, will it be like a fairy tale? In the fairy tale a simple kiss can wake up the princess and there’s always a happy ending. But did you notice that when the princess fell asleep, she was unable to move forward and remained stuck in bed while the world outside keeps on living? Did you notice that the princess became oblivious to what was happening around her and that life passed her by? She was fortunate because she had her Knight in shining armor to wake her. But will that be the same if it were to happen to us? In real life a simple kiss can’t save those who suffer from Sleeping Beauty disorder. In real life, the world will continue on living while they sleep and leave them behind. Time won’t wait for them and they won’t have a whole castle that will fall asleep with them. For them, it’s always a never ending nightmare.
But first, is there even such a thing as “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”? According to the description found at the KLS Foundation (2009) site: “Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS), also known as “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”, is a rare and complex neurological disorder characterized by periods of excessive amounts of sleep and altered behavior.” It is not to be confused with Sleeping Princess syndrome or Somnophilia. People affected by KLS may sleep for up to 20 hours per day (hypersomnia), waking only to eat or go to the bathroom. The start of each episode is characterized by progressive drowsiness and episodes may last for days, weeks, or even months (Southern Cross Healthcare Group, 2009).
This disorder occurs among adolescents,
References: • Arnulff I., Zeitzer J., File J., Farber N., & Mignot E. (2005). Kleine-Levin Syndrome: A systematic review of 186 cases in the literature. Brain Advance Access, 620, 6. • Frances, A., & First, M.B. (2000). Am I Okay? NY: Simon & Schuster. • Healthwise. (2007, April 6). Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/kleine-levin-syndrome • His Yen, D. (1998, January 22). Learned Helplessness. Retrieved from http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/discouragement/helplessness.html • KLS Foundation. (2009). What is Kleine-Levin Syndrome? Retrieved from http://klsfoundation.org/kleine/levin/info/what_is_kleine_levin_syndrome • NINDS. (2009, March 12). NINDS Kleine-Levin Syndrome Information Page. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/kleine_levin/kleine_levin.htm • Southern Cross Healthcare Group. (2009, March). Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.southerncross.co.nz/AboutTheGroup/HealthResources/Medical Library/tabid/178/vw/1/ItemID/147/Default.aspx • Wikipedia. (2010, March 13). Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleine-Levin_syndrome