MedicMagic.Net

Seeing the condition of Stacey Comerford our minds might be thrown into the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ fairy tale. The children’s fairy tale which tells of a beautiful princess who slept for 100 years due to a curse.

Comerford is not affected by a curse to experience the same thing. But the 15-year-old girl from Telford, Shropshire, England, suffers from a rare syndrome, which allows her to sleep for a few weeks nonstop, according to the Daily Mail.

This condition makes her miss some important events in life such as school exams and birthdays. Doctor’s diagnosis leads to the Sleeping Beauty syndrome, which is estimated to only affect one of every 1,000 people.

Kleine-Levin syndrome

Sleeping Beauty syndrome is also known as Kleine-Levin Syndrome or KLS. It is basically a neurological disorder which causes the sufferer to experience recurring periods of excessive amounts of sleeping and eating, the sleep all day and wake only to eat or go to the bathroom. When they are awake, the sufferers usually becomes childlike, experience confusion, disorientation, complete lack of energy, and lack of emotions.

Without any symptoms what so ever the KLS could attach for weeks, months, or even years, which could then reappear with little warning.

“There was never any kind of signs or warning before the sleepiness attacks. I even once found her lying asleep on the kitchen floor,” said Stacey’s mother, Bernie Richards, 53. “The latest attack put her to sleep soundly for two months.”

During long periods of sleep, Comerford can still do a number of activities such as going to the toilet or take food and drinks in the kitchen. But, it was all done with her eyes closed and without conscience.

In a ‘sleep mode’ condition like that, Comerford also can still enjoy eating. “But, when she is awake, she could not remember or feel the the sleeping length. She considers it as the next day,” said Richards.

Not only does she experience disturbed sleep patterns, the syndrome makes Comerford often behave like a little child. Once entering a period of hibernation, the beautiful girl will soon actlike five year old.

While still closing her eyes and with no awareness, Comerford could suddenly becomes gloomy. Kicks her feet to the floor if she doesn’t get what she wants. “It is like that i have two different children at home. A 15 year old and five year old.”

Richards said that her daughter began to show strange symptoms a year ago. At first, she just felt tired all day and have trouble concentrating in school. In March the real diagnosis came after long sleep attacks appeared several times.

Although rare, Sleeping Beauty Syndrome tend to attack teenagers. The causes and treatment methods of this syndrome are still unclear, a definite number of cases occur after the patient has an infection or a specific illness.

Some researchers have speculation concerning this syndrome. They argue that there may be a hereditary predisposition, others believe the condition may be the result of an autoimmune disorder.

To the BBC, Tom Rico from the Rare Sleep Disorders Research Center at Stanford University, California said, “Someone with the syndrome, would have episodes of sleep that usually lasts between one to three weeks with cognitive impairment. They can sleep anywhere and never have a memory about everything that happened during it.”

Rare syndrome, A Woman Sleeps For Two Months