News Alert: New York Times Features Narcolepsy

The New York Times has a wonderful article about narcolepsy, as told through a high school student's experience with the disorder. This is great awareness during National Sleep Awareness Week!

Read: Too Often, Doctors Overlook Narcolepsy by Jane E. Brody (New York Times, March 5, 2012)

Bring It On! We have Sleep Spirit - DO YOU?

Grab your glitter glue, bedazzlers, ribbons, and stickers - it's time to make creative sleep/dream themed signage for the second annual SLEEP WALK (Saturday March 10, 2012 at 9am on the National Mall).

My close friend and Nia instructor Sue hosted an informal sign-making party this past Sunday with myself, Sze-Ping and Kerry. It was one of the best days I've had in a long time - letting myself relax and have fun with friends.

Sue also designed posters with different friends on Saturday, reporting, "It was a great opportunity to educate my friends about sleep." Sue's right - sign-making is a fun way to talk about sleep.

Prizes will be awarded for most creative! Details and Free Registration.

Check out our masterpieces in progress:

Happy Sleep Week!

I'm so excited National Sleep Awareness Week is here (March 4-11th)!  In preparation, I attended two sleep-related events last week on behalf of Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN).

NSART:
On Thursday, I represented WUN at the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART). This was my second year attending this meeting.  NSART is a national coalition of government, professional, voluntary, and other organizations whose mission is:
- To raise awareness about;
- To increase the understanding of; and
- To reduce the public health and safety impact of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders by improving communications and collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies; professional organizations; and the public.

NSART is coordinated by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Membership organizations include prestigious physicians groups, influential government agencies and non-profit organizations (see membership list).

It was truly an honor to be included in the discussion.  We brainstormed various ways to promote sleep awareness. Members were excited to hear about SLEEP WALK 2012 and expressed interest in joining us!

NSF Conference:
On Friday and Saturday, I attended the National Sleep Foundation's Conference, which has two tracks - a Public Health & Safety Track and a Health Care Professional Track.  Both tracks had fascinating sessions, so I switched between the two. There were keynote speakers and a fabulous Annual Awards Dinner!

The Awards Dinner honored researchers including narcolepsy specialist Dr. Michael Thorpy! Congratulations to Dr. Thorpy for his NSF'S Lifetime Achievement Award.

The dinner also featured a wonderful presentation about the sleep and dreams of various animals. Did you know that dolphins sleep with only half their brain at a time while the other half remains conscious enough to breathe and to look out for predators and obstacles?  After about two hours, the dolphin switches sleep sides so the other side of the brain can sleep.  I wonder what it feels like to have half of your brain sleeping... Fascinating!

Dr. Thorpy Awarded NSF's
Lifetime Achievement Award 2012

Public Health & Safety Track Ballroom

Julie Flygare at NSF Conference

Dolphins' half sleeping brain waves

HAPPY SLEEP WEEK!!

In closing, NSF announced it's Annual Sleep in America poll on March 3rd, 2012. This year's poll focused on an important subject - the sleep habits and work performance of transportation professionals, including pilots, train operators, truck, bus taxi and limo drivers. Press release here.

Will Do Yoga for Grilled Cheese: In Pursuit of Joy

I have two obsessions - yoga and grilled cheese.  Maybe the two seem worlds apart, but for me, they serve the same purpose - JOY.

At the beginning of each Tranquil Space yoga class, we are invited to set an intention.  My intention is "to create JOY." No matter how I feel, this allows me the possibility of feeling better through yoga. Sometimes exercise makes me sleepy, but more often, it's energizing and joyful.

Yoga is a healthy obsession perhaps, but grilled cheese? I admit, grilled cheese isn't the healthiest... yet it brings a smile to my face too. Northside Social has the world's best grilled cheese, in my opinion.

I'm convinced that health and happiness are closely intertwined. Health leads to happiness, but happiness leads to health too.  It goes both ways, in my experience.  So, I will do my daily yoga for my weekly grilled cheese.

I'm not counting calories; I'm counting smiles. These are simple pleasures, but they add up!

Julie Flygare doing yoga
Photography by Matt Spaulding

As Orange As An Oompa Loompa

IF I turn as orange as an Oompa Loompa, blame it on sweet potatoes! It's official, I'm in love with this vegetable.

Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious AND delicious vegetables. The high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene are great for your skin.  You can skip the super-expensive skin products at the pharmacy and stock up on cheap filling sweet potatoes instead.

I have a small sweet potatoes with my dinner almost every night. I eat a lot of frozen meals, but even the "gourmet" frozen meals from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's don't fill me up alone. The sweet potato makes my dinner complete.

Sweet Potatoes in New Zealand (Photo by: James Shook)

One of my favorite blogs, NarcoGirl's Adventures of A Narcoleptic posted about her recent struggles with nighttime eating. NarcoGirl's nurse recommended a good carbohydrate in the evening would help her blood sugar from dropping at night.

Reading this, I realized I'd had a similar experience and perhaps subconsciously, began eating sweet potatoes with dinner to ensure I wouldn't be hungry later in the night (this is important because I'm not supposed to eat while on my nighttime medication).

If I still feel hungry less than two hours before bedtime, I allow myself a handful of dry cereal, graham crackers or pita chips.

I cook my sweet potato simply by poking fork holes in it, wrapping it loosely in paper towels and cooking on high in the microwave for 5 to 8 minutes (depending on size). I add a little Smart/Earth Balance (butter substitute) and enjoy!

I'm hoping my skin reaps the benefits too - just as long as I don't turn as orange as an Oompa Loompa!

SLEEP WALK 2012 Takes Big Footsteps Across America

Wow, the buzzzzz around the SLEEP WALK this year is exciting!

We have nearly 90 participants from 14 states registered to attend the second annual SLEEP WALK 2012 in Washington DC, and I'm SO excited to announce that SLEEP WALK 2012 is traveling some 2,700 miles to Sacramento, CA!

Full details here. If you are in the Sacramento, CA area, please join my friend and fellow sleep advocate, Ming and his crew for a beautiful walk leaving from the west side of the California State Capitol at 9am PST.

On our walk, we will pass by the U.S. Capitol. Around the same time, our Californian SLEEP WALKERS will pass by the California Capitol Building. This gives me chills. We are raising awareness from sea to shinning sea!

What started as a dream about this time last year is coming true in the most beautiful way.

VIEW DETAILS ABOUT SLEEP WALK 2012 SACRAMENTO, CA HERE!

SLEEP WALK 2012 Gains International Attention: N is for Narcolepsy Blog

One of my all-time favorite narcolepsy blogs is "N is for Narcolepsy," written by Ellie, a writer with narcolepsy living oversees. I've never met Ellie, but feel like we're old friends from reading her informative beautifully-written blog the past couple years.

I'm so excited to report that Ellie has featured our SLEEP WALK 2012 on her blog all the way from Berlin, Germany!
Read here.

We wish Ellie could join us in person for the SLEEP WALK, but we will certainly be thinking of her.

Ellie: May you join us in your dreams and perhaps take a walk around Berlin on Suddenly Sleepy Saturday, March 10th in our honor!

Thank you so much for spreading the word to EUROPE about the SLEEP WALK 2012 to raise awareness about narcolepsy and healthy sleep for all.

Wake Up Narcolepsy's Blog: Let's Get The Party Started

www.suzworks.org

Wake Up Narcolepsy's Blog: Let's Get The Party Started: SLEEP WALK 2012 is going to be epic! Just two weeks away, Wake Up Narcolepsy is thrilled to announce that two...

Guest Post on AASM's Sleep Education Blog

I'm so excited to announce that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine invited me to write a guest post on their well-respected Sleep Education Blog.

I wrote about my struggle to get a good night's sleep and the upcoming SLEEP WALK!  Please check out my post here.

Juggling Clouds - Rediscovering Dance After My Father's Death

Photography by Nia Technique

"No one will die, Julie," I repeated to myself on my way to Nia dance class this morning.

Knots tightened in my stomach as I drove down the same roads in reverse from the fateful morning I'd received the call from my step-mom, Kathy. I hadn't been back to Nia since.

"It's just dance class. It was just a coincidence."  Yet this didn't stop tears from streaming uncontrollably down my face most of the drive.

I wasn't sure I was "ready," but my Nia community welcomed me back with open arms. 

"Great to see you..." No one said it directly, but they knew and I knew they knew.  

I was frightened and robotic walking into the classroom. No smiles. I put my purse down in the corner. My hands shook slightly turning my phone to silent. "No. One. Will. Die."

A dark cloud had overshadowed my love of Nia this past month. 

Yet the music and moves quickly transported me to another world. Nia is nothing like the rest of my life.  It's dramatic and luscious; creative and free. 

"We're juggling clouds," our instructor Suzannah described at one point, pulsing her hands in front of her.

I giggled and followed along, raising my palms up in the air to begin juggling.  A big smile crept across my face. I needed this piece of my puzzle.  I know my Dad would have loved to see me so happy. 

Grieving is not a symmetrical process that can fit neatly into calendar squares of days, weeks or months. I accept that deep dark sadness and uncontrollable crying are still a part of my experience. Thank you to Nia for helping me rediscover pockets of sunshine. 

Perhaps stormy weather is inevitable. We'll just have to learn to juggle clouds.

The lovely and joyful Suzannah of www.SuzWorks.org

Want a taste of Nia? Two local Nia superstar instructors are donating their time to join us at the SLEEP WALK on March 10th, 2012!  Suzannnah (SuzWorks.org) and Sue D. will lead a Nia-inspired warm up before our walk!