Charlotte Vincent

Charlotte Vincent lives in Victoria and has Idiopathic Hypersomnia.

I am a sufferer of Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH). After years of struggling, with no answers and just believing that I was lazy and a bit of a failure, I was fortunate enough to be referred to the Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre in 2014, aged 33. 

I had never heard of IH and did not even believe that there were other people like me, let alone that I had a known condition. Diagnosis was a shock, but it meant a huge amount to know that my struggle was real and there were people out there who knew about it and wanted to help. I receive ongoing support and treatment which has changed my life for the better. I am, however, still faced with the challenges that come from IH not being known, understood or believed.

I joined the Consumer Reference Council to help make the lives of others coming after me easier than mine has been. Greater awareness of sleep disorders across all facets of society is key to facilitate more people being diagnosed, receiving the best possible treatment and feeling supported rather than stigmatised and discriminated against.

Hear more about Charlotte's story: