Especially blind people who suffer from Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder
“I had sleep issues for a long time, I just thought I was getting old or something. When I first became aware it was something blind people had, I said, ‘Oh yes, that describes me!’”
What is Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder (Non-24)?
Non-24 is a chronic sleep disorder that affects approximately 50% of totally blind people. Their inability to perceive light causes a severe disruption of the 24-hour sleep-wake pattern causing cyclical bouts of nighttime sleeplessness and excessive daytime fatigue and napping. Read More →
How Common is Non-24 Among Blind Individuals Without Light Perception?
Clinical studies estimate that about 50% of totally blind individuals suffer from Non-24. 2;9 Overall, approximately 65,000 people in the United States are estimated to suffer from this disorder. Read More →
How is Non-24 Diagnosed?
Non-24 can be diagnosed with the help of 1) sleep history information captured in a sleep diary, 2) an actigraph, a device usually worn on the wrist that determines sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, and/or 3) by blood or urine analysis, all of which are collected over several weeks. Read More →
“Patient Perspectives” with Jack Mendez: Coping with Non-24, an “invisible” disability
Jack Mendez has battled sleep problems his whole life. But it was only one year ago that he learned the true cause of this problem when his symptoms were formally diagnosed as Non-24-Hour Disorder, a circadian rhythm disorder that prevents his body from regulating its internal clock.
"Patient Perspectives" brings you his story, in his words, about the challenges of living with Non-24.
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