Are you about to start the new school year and have Narcolepsy or Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH)? Are you a parent or supporter of a child who is? We know that the start of a school year poses an additional set of challenges. Here are some recommendations for adjusting to a new school year with Narcolepsy and IH:

1. Bring along your medical documentation for 504/IEP renewal meetings.

2. Introduce yourself to your teachers at the beginning of the year.

3. Keep extra medication on hand with the school nurse and bring Narcolepsy reference information, such as this or your IH reference information, like this.

4. Practice your new wake-up routine a full week before school starts and identify “slumps” in the day. Do you need multiple alarms to wake up on time? Make note of the times during the day that you feel sleepiest in order to anticipate where you’ll be and if you can schedule a short nap.

5. Have a plan for attacks of excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy. For example, will you need to take an afternoon medication during the day? Similarly, wearing a medical ID bracelet can help bystanders who have never witnessed a cataplexy attack before.

6. Ask for lengthy reading materials in advance. Receiving these materials in advance can allow you to plan for reading smaller sections over a longer period of time, maximizing the amount of information.

7. Keep a planner up-to-date with immediate and future deadlines, and spend time breaking larger assignments into pieces.

Source: Jessica Scaggs’ article in Narcolepsy Network’s Newsletter.