A 19yearold girl has puzzled doctors for years because of her habit of sleeping about 20 hours at a time, causing headaches for her family.
According to the US newspaper Washington Post, the picture began in September 2017, when Erin Bousquet was showing signs of lethargy at the age of 14 and appeared to be “insane.” She also had trouble staying awake and sleeping at least 20 hours.
It was not until March 2020 that a neurologist examined the teenager and, after thorough analysis, determined that she was probably suffering from KleineLevin syndrome (KLS), a rare sleep disorder also known as “Sleeping Beauty syndrome”.
According to the doctor, long sleep episodes usually last from a few days to a few weeks and are unpredictably repeated. The situation also causes irritability, increased appetite, craving for food, disorientation and amnesia in patients. The cause of the disorder is still unknown and may be the result of genetic factors or faulty parts of the brain that regulate sleep and appetite.
Kristen, Erin’s mom, said the girl was also irritable, her pupils dilated, and she said things that made no sense. At first she and her husband Greg believed it was all a hoax, but they soon realized something was wrong with their daughter. “It was very scary. At first we thought she was just joking,” her mother recalled.
For two years, Erin’s family, who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA), took her to see several specialists. She even consulted psychologists and neurosurgeons, but none of them could identify the cause of the drastic changes in Erin’s behavior.
At one point, her mother and her doctors believed the problem was related to Erin’s menstrual cycle, hypothesizing that it was premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). However, the teen’s tests and symptoms did not agree with this theory.
troubled life
Despite several studies and treatment attempts to relieve symptoms, no method has been shown to be effective against KLS. Erin’s case comes as a surprise to Sundell, as the cause of the disorder and how to control it have not yet been discovered.
The doctor also sought help from other professionals in Omaha, but none of them are familiar with the syndrome. The situation led the neurologist to conclude that there was nothing to be done for the time being. Although Erin’s family was disappointed, the girl now sees Sundell annually to assess her condition.
“Our approach was vigilantly waiting and hoping it goes away,” said the neurologist, who insists on finding therapies and other alternatives to ease the patient’s suffering.
For Erin, the issue brought serious losses as it not only affected her personality but also caused her to miss important moments like school championships, her 18th birthday, family Christmas parties, and college classes as she slept late during them.
“The hardest thing for me is knowing that I’ve missed so much over the years,” he lamented.