Sleeping Beauty’s torment
A NURSING student is coping with a rare disorder that can send her to sleep for a week at a time.
Poppy Shingleton has slept through her own birthdays, family Christmases and holidays, and struggled to complete her college education.
She has Kleine-Levin Syndrome – more commonly known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome – which puts her into a prolonged dream-like state without warning.
Poppy, 24, of Southampton, said: “I feel totally detached and spaced out.” She developed the condition, which affects fewer than 1,000 sufferers worldwide, at 18.
The cause is unknown but a mix of stimulant drugs and sleeping pills can help control it.