This video features real patients sharing their personal experiences and is available for disease awareness only.

Individual experiences may vary.

Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice.

This video is developed by Takeda.

Speakers have received compensation from Takeda for their participation.


[Dr. Aya Imanishi]

I was a very responsible person, so I couldn’t believe I was actually falling asleep.

My friends would tell me, “You were asleep,” and I’d think, “What?”

I’m not that irresponsible.

I kept wondering why it wouldn’t get better.

I remember blaming myself for it.

People assume it’s a matter of willpower, or a lack of determination.

That’s how you end up being seen.

When it goes on for so long, you start thinking, “I’m just no good, anyway.”

My doctor said, “I’ve been practicing medicine for decades, and I may have only seen one case before, but this could be a condition called narcolepsy.”

I was shocked.

It wasn’t that I lacked motivation – I realized it wasn’t my fault that I was falling asleep.

It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

And it means you don’t have to give up on your dreams – that there’s hope.