Whether a professional athlete or a person with a day-to-day job, sleep disorders can affect you. Learning the signs and symptoms of different conditions can help detect undiagnosed sleep disorders. Josh Andrews, a professional football player in the National Football League (NFL), talked with Healthier Sleep about his experience with narcolepsy and how he helps educate and raise awareness of this sleep disorder.
You may know Josh Andrews from his professional football career in the NFL, playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, or New Orleans Saints. Did you know that Josh Andrews succeeded in his athletic career while living with narcolepsy?
Symptoms of Narcolepsy
Josh was always playing sports, baseball, basketball, and football. The philosophy in his house was an active child is a successful child. This proved true for him when after high school he earned a football scholarship to Oregon State University. From there, he went on to the NFL where he played nine years as offensive guard. On the field Josh was giving 100%, but off the field you would often find Josh sleeping. When he would get in a car for a short drive, sit in class, or relax with friends, he would fall asleep. Once he even fell asleep in the middle of a video game with friends, the controller in his hands. Often people would ask, “why are you so tired all the time?” He thought it was because he was so active. What he didn’t realize at the time was that excessive daytime sleepiness is a major symptom of narcolepsy. Other symptoms may include cataplexy, a weakening of muscles with strong emotions like laughter, disrupted nighttime sleep, sleep paralysis, and sleep related hallucinations.
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Sleep Testing
His mother, a respiratory therapist, suggested he be tested for sleep apnea, but he shrugged off the suggestion, until he was in college. Falling asleep in class was something he couldn’t ignore. He went in for a sleep test, but it came back negative for sleep apnea. So, he left it at that. A few years later, he almost drove off the road with his girlfriend in the car. She too asked that he get checked out. In 2017 Josh had a second sleep test. This time, it was a multi-latency test which measures how quickly you go into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. He went into REM sleep immediately, a sign of narcolepsy.
Diagnosis
Narcolepsy? Josh was shocked! His ideas of narcolepsy were all negative, but as he learned about it, and its symptoms, he thought, yes, I definitely have narcolepsy. Following the diagnosis Josh felt very alone and isolated until he found patient organizations where he could connect with others who also have narcolepsy. This provided a community where he could ask questions, bounce ideas off others, and find people who understood. Narcolepsy is a rare disease: fewer than 200,000 people are diagnosed in the United States – that’s far less than 1% of the population – so dedicated patient organizations are often the best support communities.
Be Active
In some ways it is easier for athletes to counter the effects of narcolepsy because they are active. The job requires you to move. It may be more difficult for someone who has a desk job and is physically more stationary. For Josh, professional football was very structured: you have a printout of where you need to be and what you need to be doing. The structure proved very helpful in managing narcolepsy. But everyday life is not like that. Now that he has retired from football, he creates his own structure, being sure to schedule workouts and naps daily.
Narcolepsy is a manageable disease. Seek out a sleep professional for answers on the best ways to manage symptoms
Educate Others
The diagnosis of narcolepsy has changed his life. He now makes sure to take his medication before he drives his kids anywhere and to adhere to a schedule including activity and sleep to give him wakeful hours when he wants them. His need to check out has put more pressure on his wife. There are times when he just has to say “I can’t drive” or “I need a nap.” Educating those around you about narcolepsy and its limitations is important for your health and safety.
Josh’s Advice for Others
With Narcolepsy Josh recently retired from playing football and spends more of his time advocating on behalf of narcolepsy, specifically how to navigate narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a manageable disease. Seek out a sleep professional for answers on the best ways to manage symptoms.
• Keep moving! Be active physically and mentally.
• Set a scheduled time to nap and to be active.
• Find a community of people who have narcolepsy that you can connect with.
• Inform those around you about narcolepsy.
