Amy Clifton’s type 1 narcolepsy went undiagnosed for nearly three decades

Amy Clifton felt exhausted and had frightening hallucinations from early childhood.

Doctors spent nearly three decades failing to identify the cause, and some of her symptoms were mistaken for other conditions.

She was eventually diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy, a disorder linked to a lack of a brain chemical that helps regulate sleep.

Her experience shows how hard it can be to recognize this disorder and how deeply it can affect daily life.