Gail’s Reviews > The Woman Who Couldn't Wake Up: Hypersomnia and the Science of Sleepiness > Status Update
Gail
is 15% done
It's a book about me! 🥰
Relatable:
"Her doctors diagnosed her with something called idiopathic hypersomnia. Anna interpreted this mouthful as 'she sleeps a lot and we don’t know why.' "
"she told herself that she was working hard and her body needed extra rest. ... sleep was encroaching upon her life."
MSLT as "the gateway through which they had to travel to receive their diagnosis"
Am learning a lot, too.
— May 30, 2025 08:43PM
Relatable:
"Her doctors diagnosed her with something called idiopathic hypersomnia. Anna interpreted this mouthful as 'she sleeps a lot and we don’t know why.' "
"she told herself that she was working hard and her body needed extra rest. ... sleep was encroaching upon her life."
MSLT as "the gateway through which they had to travel to receive their diagnosis"
Am learning a lot, too.
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Gail’s Previous Updates
Gail
is 49% done
Lots in this section about elucidating mechanisms and possible causes for narcolepsy. Now we're getting into the history of medications like modafinil. It's definitely an interesting historical time to get an IH diagnosis.
— Jun 18, 2025 05:17PM
Gail
is 43% done
This chapter resonates so much that I fell asleep while reading it. /genuine, non-disparaging
"The hypothalamus appears to be the site where many forces—temperature, sensory stimulation, attention, extended time awake, or recent food consumption—engage in a tug of war over sleepiness"
Me and my hypothalamus having a party over here
— Jun 15, 2025 07:18PM
"The hypothalamus appears to be the site where many forces—temperature, sensory stimulation, attention, extended time awake, or recent food consumption—engage in a tug of war over sleepiness"
Me and my hypothalamus having a party over here
Gail
is 41% done
"most reported a delay of three or more years between symptom onset and diagnosis" ✅
"at least three doctors were seen before a correct diagnosis." ✅
"Common misdiagnoses were sleep apnea, depression ✅, blood pressure dysregulation, iron deficiency, and more subjective judgments: 'burnout,' ✅ 'psychosomatic,' ✅ and 'puberty related.'"
"a striking years-long delay ... in diagnosis among women compared with men"
— Jun 15, 2025 07:14PM
"at least three doctors were seen before a correct diagnosis." ✅
"Common misdiagnoses were sleep apnea, depression ✅, blood pressure dysregulation, iron deficiency, and more subjective judgments: 'burnout,' ✅ 'psychosomatic,' ✅ and 'puberty related.'"
"a striking years-long delay ... in diagnosis among women compared with men"
Gail
is 24% done
I'm enjoying reading about all of the different research studies that have been done trying to figure out causes of IH (or mechanisms of sleepiness in general). It's interesting biology and science history
— Jun 01, 2025 10:33PM
