Posted: 04/18/07

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that causes people to fall asleep during the day, even after a night of restful sleep. This can happen at any time, be it naptime or the most inopportune of times. It’s a lifelong condition.

I think I may have caught it.

The other day, doing reading for my Buddhist Religious Thought class. Fell asleep.

Typing up my Environmental Science lab. Fell asleep.

Writing this column, I’ve fallen asleep like five or six times, and I’ve barely started. I expect to have several more naps before it’s done.

I don’t know what it is, but somehow, every spring, as classes are winding down and work is winding up, St. Michael’s suffers an epidemic of the most contagious sort—narcolepsy spreads like wildfire.

As my fellow columnist Justin Veiga said the other day:

“I find that when it comes to work that is meaningless, I frequently fall asleep and enjoy a mid-afternoon nap.”

(To clarify, Justin falls asleep doing lots of other things too. I’m watching him sleep right now, which I promise isn’t creepy).

Justin may find some detractors about the meaning or meaninglessness of work, but as for the sleeping part, he’s right on. Jon Taylor, another colleague of mine expounded on Justin’s ideas.

“My naps are like five hours long. You know why? My sleep-dreams are better than my day-dreams.”

Jon added that when he does manage to make it to class, he day-dreams, which he enjoys more than paying attention, but not as much as sleeping. Judging by the number of nodding heads and heavy breaths of my classmates, I think this view is shared by many.

Or my editor, Amanda Gallagher:

“For real, I think all I did today was sleep. I did work sort of, but in bed laying down and watching TV.”

I think we all may have caught it.

What is this new condition that sends all St. Michael’s students hurtling towards springtime hibernation? Just as the weather warms up and it’s possible to stay outside for more than 20 minutes the urge to do the exact opposite kicks in.

Is it hormonal? Medicinal? Alliot? I wish I knew.

Or maybe I don’t. I like my naps. Jon and Justin and Amanda like their naps. There’s something nice about being able to fall asleep in the sun and let the world drift away. It’s not like I don’t bring this upon myself to some degree. Late nights and early mornings, a quasi-requisite of college, do eventually take a toll. I know that tonight, I won’t be asleep before 2:00. I also know that tomorrow, I have class at 8:30. I’m already looking forward to the few hours after my classes end for the day when I can crawl back into bed, more undisturbed than tonight, and do nothing. Absolutely nothing.