#hypersomnia disorder

[puppy-b0y-prince]

Do I love sleeping and feeling sleepy? Yes very warm all snuggled, and my friends and partner have never held it against me. I love being the cute spoiled little sleepy puppy boy.

And yet I hate it so much, I dread sleeping, I hate sleeping so fucking much, I want to be awake. I have chores, hobbies, shows I wanna watch! And yet I can't, cursed dragged down into an exhaustion I can't fucking get rid of.

[rosesandthorns44]

That chronic illness feeling where you don't want to die soon, but the idea of spending another 60 or so years in this body makes you want to scream.

[g0refield]

a thing with being chronically ill is i don’t know what’s a symptom anymore. i learned last year it’s not normal to pass out from standing still, i learned recently it’s not normal to get dizzy from wearing a beanie. i don’t know what heart palpitations feel like because i have them all the time. i don’t notice my own pain tics. i haven’t felt not tired since i was a child. i have no idea what it’s like to be 100% able bodied and neurotypical etc because i’ve never tried, so i have nothing to compare with.

[wishkhh]

chronically eepy and that's ok

[oc-ology]

How to make a good character reference

First and foremost, a good character reference is one that clearly and concisely tells you about an OC. Not only are they helpful to keep your art or descriptions of them consistent but if someone else will be drawing or writing about them, then a reference is typically a necessity so they can draw the character accurately. I’ll be going into how to make both a good visual and written reference, as well as tips that apply to both of them.

Special thanks to Lotus and Calico for giving some additional perspectives for me to think about, as well as anon for suggesting this topic!

Good Visual References

A reference sheet is a way for artists to easily see a character’s design for drawing them. At its simplest, this can be a simple, full-body illustration with little embellishment but some people will do full turnarounds (front, side and back views) or additional outfits for a character with props and other illustrations for a more artistic reference sheet. Regardless of your approach, your reference should clearly show a character’s basic features and, typically, the clothes they most often wear (whether that is a single outfit or multiple).

Adding notes to the sheet can be very helpful, such as a character’s height, specific facial features or a description of the kind of clothes they wear (like colours, aesthetics, fashion style and clothing preferences). If a character is often seen with a prop or item (such as weapons or mobility aids), then it’s important to also include those in your reference and make a note on the frequency of their use. Finally, if your design has pieces of clothing or props that have specific terminology, it can be helpful to include that terminology so it’s easier for others to search for more references.

Flat Colours vs Shaded/Rendered: I’ve seen some people complain about references that are shaded or rendered as it can often make it hard to colour pick from the reference. This can easily be remedied with a colour palette that is clearly labelled for what colour is used for what part. Using two of my own references as an example, you can see that my reference sheet for Eren doesn’t have any shading, making colour-picking easy. Comparing that to my reference sheet for Vex, the art for him is shaded but this is remedied with a clear colour palette on the left with labels saying what that colour is primarily used for. As a final comparison to a reference sheet that I feel fails in this regard, my sheet for Eris (nudity warning) has several outfits that are fully shaded but do not have a full colour palette outside of their basic features. However, since this character would be drawn in many other different outfits and the sheet was for personal use only, this doesn’t bother me too much.

Complicated designs: For designs with complex elements such as lots of accessories or intricate tattoos, it can be helpful to draw a larger version of these on the reference. This makes it a lot easier to draw them consistently in future as they’ll be clear and you won’t need to spend time zooming in or around your design. Additionally, if you character has a tattoo or very specific fur markings then it can also be helpful to create a transparent version of them. This way, anyone drawing your character can use that transparent version rather than drawing it by hand or, for those that do want to draw it by hand, they again have a very clear design to reference. Also, it can be helpful to have a simplified design for people with art styles that work better with less detail or for animating purposes.

Mannerisms: This is more so for references that will be sent to other artists for commissions, requests, gifts, etc. It can be helpful to have a small section on what a character’s mannerisms or way of holding themselves is like. This gives artists a jumping off point for ideas on poses or character interactions as a blank slate can be hard to come up with ideas for. It’ll also mean that if, for example, you have a shy character then they won’t be mischaracterised in art by being drawn with an overconfident posture. It’s best to use simpler words (such as annoying vs vexatious) as it can become confusing for people for who English is not their first language.

Good Written References

A good written reference can be split into two types.

The first is for describing their appearance, typically used for sending to artists when you don’t have an existing visual reference. For this, it can be helpful to go over the points of what I wrote for a visual reference and just translate that to a written description. Bullet points are the easiest way to do this as it gives artists something quick and easy to reference but it can also be helpful to link to images to give a better idea of what you want. 

Pale skin with light freckles.

Lavender hair that gets slightly lighter at the tips and slightly darker at the roots. It is mostly-straight, shoulder-length and covers some of the face. Two small horns poke out of the top of his head.

Grey-blue eyes. Should look sleepy or lidded.

Thin-framed glasses with a simple, silver glasses chain (optional)

Black cassock with a black pellegrina and white collarino/tab collar.

For formal occasions, Vex may wear a purple ferraiolo with black, embroidered trim.

Purple stole with a symmetrical design.

At the bottom of the stole is the Leviathan cross.

Around the chest, there are the five alchemical symbols for fire, air, spirit, earth and water (in order from top to bottom).

Has a rosary with dark, wooden beads and small ivory beads in an alternating pattern that ends with an inverted cross (also known as the St. Peter’s cross).

Wears platform boots with metal toe caps.

Without the boots, Vex comes to 5’3”. The boots make him a lot taller, around 5’6”.

Sometimes wears half-palm gloves made of black leather.

This is the basic written reference that I had for Vex before I drew him a reference sheet. It makes it clear what they look like and any artist working with the description would be able to draw him semi-accurately from this alone. It can be hard to balance the necessary amount of detail with keeping things concise - large paragraphs can be overwhelming and even off-putting to others.

The second type of written reference is a reference specifically used when writing. While a lot of the same principles apply, you’ll often want to go into more detail regarding the character’s mannerisms, way of speech and dynamic with other characters. There are numerous great guides on how to write a good character reference or profile, all using different approaches. Personally, I like to use these five categories for writing a character’s reference.

Basic Details: This includes a basic description of a character, as well as their name and any other surface-level details about them such as age, date of birth, gender and sexuality, basic personality traits, etc. If the setting is fantasy or sci-fi, then I would also include anything that would fall under this category in-universe, such as species or magical alignment. This section is not for digging deep but more to give an overview on the character.

Personality: It can be really easy to boil down a character’s personality to a few simple traits like in the first section. However, characters will often act differently in different scenarios and have specific reasons as to why they act a certain way. How do they act when they’re alone vs when they’re around others, both those they trust and those they do not? Do they mask certain parts of their personality? What fears does the character have and how does that impact how they go through life? These are all things that can heavily influence how a character behaves and talks.

Mannerisms: Here, you’ll want to describe your character’s body language and demeanour such as how they walk and carry themselves, as well as first impressions from strangers. You can also go into any habits a character has, including whether they are aware of those habits and perhaps try to hide or overcome them.

History: A character’s past will usually define a lot of how they conduct themselves in the present. Here, you’ll want to include information on their upbringing, influential moments (or “canon-events”) in their life and their caregivers, if applicable. This can add context to certain behaviours or actions from the character.

Relationships: Finally, go into important relationships for the character. When I say important, I mean write about relationships to characters that are either contextually relevant (such as to the current scene or overall plot/story) or characters that have had a large impact on them. For example, the barista that you character always gets coffee from probably isn’t going to be relevant… unless you’re writing a coffee-shop romance where the barista is likely to be a recurring character. A character’s family that doesn’t appear in the story may not be relevant now… but the way that they influenced the character’s upbringing is relevant when it comes to establishing their backstory and foundational relationships.

General Tips

Non-human/original species: If your character is not human or is an original species, make sure to include any key features that are unique to that species and link to any relevant design documents for them. It’s a lot easier for someone to use your reference than it is to go searching for that information themselves.

What actually makes your reference good? This is hard to answer because what I think is good is probably contradicted by countless other people. Also, some advice for one kind of reference won’t necessarily be helpful for a different kind of reference. A good foundation for a reference will always be what you find helpful.

Keep it concise: Oftentimes, there’s so much information that we hold about an OC in our heads and it can be tempted to include absolutely everything into their reference. But remember that the key purpose of a reference is to make it easy to understand the main points about a character or design. Regardless of if you go further in-depth, always make sure to have a clear overview of them at the very beginning that can be easily referenced.

[notavampiretrustme]

“Maybe you should stop spending so much time on your phone”

“it’s not sustainable to order out so much”

“If you have so little energy why do you still go out on the weekends?”

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! It’s hard enough for me to exist already don’t you dare suggest I give up the few pleasures that make life worth living just because I’m sick. Don’t you dare question my priorities when you don’t live in a world where you have to sacrifice one basic aspect of life for another.

[snzluv3r]

my sleep study was actually kinda sorta helpful in that i just got diagnosed with rem sleep behavior disorder which i’ve been 99% sure i have for over a year but it was validating as hell to find out that i do in fact know my body and my mind lol. there’s not much i can do about it but i’m working with the sleep study doctor & she’s referring me back to psychiatry again so!! a win’s a win. really glad to have had a positive experience because i’m so so so stupid scared for my appointment tomorrow and needed to be reminded that not all appointments are disappointing

OH ALSO this diagnosis might kinda explain why i seem to sneeze in my sleep (obviously im waking up to sneeze but) bc my stupid body doesn’t understand that it’s supposed to be paralyzed during REM lol

[starlight-nocte]

when i think of sleeping,

i think of dying.

i think of oblivion,

of drowning in the Nile

after baking brown in the 

desert sun…

when i think of sleeping,

i am afraid

because sleep has been 

such a part of me,

has taken too much–

more than its due.

i have lost centuries to this thing,

this disease of

shut-eyed nothingness. 

in truth,

i don’t think it’s possible to be 

safe from sleep.

because this kind of sleep

sticks to your bones,

mouths at the ridges of your throat.

this kind of sleep

eats you alive.

 - Safe From Sleep, after Iman Mersal

[ub-sessed]

So I did a sleep study recently and found out, at the age of 51, that I have either idiopathic hypersomnia or narcolepsy type 2.

Now this would have been super useful information when I was still in school and falling asleep in my classes, but given my current lifestyle, the main obstacle it presents is that whenever I get very stressed I fall asleep. And whenever I have to make a slightly difficult decision I get sleepy. Which doesn't help with the decision making.

Over the years I have learned to take jobs where I am on my feet (though my feet really do not like this anymore). I can turn off the sleep urge by dancing around for a few minutes. If I get my heart rate up, having other people around to interact with is enough for the sleepies to pass in a few minutes. But at home, where there are no people and there is a very comfy bed, all bets are off.

So my new long-term project is to learn how to keep from having to lie down every time I have to make a decision. (And no, forcing myself to stay awake is not an option. I learned this the hard way with years of well-meaning but uninformed advice from various therapists and counsellors. All my efforts at "sleep hygiene" just made everything worse.)

One method I use a lot is to let "someone else" make the decision. Create routines and write them out as reusable lists. Put numbers next to the items on a to-do list and roll dice. Flip a coin. Put the options on little pieces of paper and pull one out of a hat. Come up with pre-determined outfits for different scenarios.

Another technique is to take a break: when I feel the decision stress/sleepiness coming over me, I go into a different room and intentionally think about something else for a few minutes.

A less useful coping response is to just avoid stressful things. This invariably leads to them becoming more stressful and has not worked well. Also unsuccessful were the many medications I have been prescribed to keep me awake: they all gave me debilitating side effects.

In the meantime I am trying to work on accepting that I spend a lot of time in bed.

[haberdashing]

upsides to having idiopathic hypersomnia: i can tell people that a doctor diagnosed me with a case of the sleepytireds and i am, essentially, telling the truth

[xxhypersomnia]

Today and everyday, I am representing those with the rare disorder - Idiopathic Hypersomnia.

IH causes one to be very sleepy during the day regardless of the amount of sleep received. Unfortunately, we have yet to figure out what causes IH or how to treat it. I have participated in numerous medical trials, taken trial medications in every form imaginable, and I have even been injured by medical tests gone wrong (induced sleep paralysis = broken toe). I have spent countless weekends in a hospital bed, forced to stay awake for 25+ hours in order to conduct testing so perhaps others can find relief.

How does it affect my life?

I’m exhausted all the time. I honestly don’t know what “being refreshed” feels like. I haven’t felt that since I was a child. I sometimes sleep whole days away and it affects my relationships. I can’t drink with friends because the alcohol will make me fall asleep at the bar. I have been bruised from too much time in my bed or couch. It makes it extremely hard to stay motivated at the gym. I have fallen asleep on a treadmill and while recieving tattoos. Worst of all, it affects my memory (along with another neurological disorder). Sleep is so important to our brains, it’s a time for it to recover. And my particular version of IH causes my brain to float in light sleep, hardly ever reaching REM. So my brain is never healing. I forget things, I get anxious that I’m forgetting things, and I have a hard time formulating words that I want. It hurts to know I’m smart but can’t always present myself that way.

I could go on and on about the affects it has on me, but honestly the hardest part is people who don’t think you have a disorder. “I’m tired a lot too!”

I will always and forever support invisible disabilities. It is a backwards way of thinking to think disability means wheelchair, or some other physical ailment. Just because you can’t see a disorder, doesn’t mean it’s any less real. “You’re too young to be forgetting things..” that’s one I hear A LOT. Yea, thanks for the reminder than I’m on my way to early memory loss way before my time. I can’t even remember vacations with my family. Memories that I know I love but can’t reach.

Be kind, be cautious with your words, be supportive even if you don’t know the whole story, don’t deny someone else’s reality just because it’s different than your own.

To all my loves with narcolepsy or any other invisible disability, I see you ♥️

[puppy-b0y-prince]

The absolute hell and frustration of knowing you have chores to do, hobbies you love, friends to see but being unable to stay awake to do anything. Feels pathetic.

[rosesandthorns44]

Idiopathic Hypersomnia Life Hacks I Am Currently Field Testing:

Putting my shoes on and not taking them off so I can't get back in bed or lie down on the couch. (Roommate's genius suggestion I wish I had thought of. I don't like wearing my street shoes in the home, so perhaps I need separate indoor anti-sleepytime shoes. I'm not a crocs kind of gal, but perhaps just for at home)

Washing my bedding on my days off from work so my blankets cannot beckon me with their siren song (also, I get horrible night sweats. I wake up DRENCHED, so my bedding needs the extra washing anyway. Anyone else with IH or Narcolepsy have this???)

Not sitting down to watch TV or play video games unless I have finished my to-do list first.

Post-it notes everywhere. For everything. I wouldn't even remember to brush my own teeth if I hadn't put a post-it note on my bathroom mirror

Other Hypersomniacs of any breed, please feel free to add your tips and tricks.

[nagichi-boop]

Can I just pretend I never went to the doctor about my sleep problems? I would prefer to go back to how I was, living in ignorance and assuming being tired all the time was just my fault for sleeping late. I don’t want to upturn my entire routine that I’ve held for years just for the chance that I’ll feel better. I’d rather keep feeling tired so that I can still live the way I want to. If I abided by the suggestions the doctor gave, I lose my nighttime peace hours, I don’t get an evening, I’ll have no more late mornings, and I can’t watch tv with my parents at night anymore.

If I convince myself I was just being silly and that there’s no way I have a sleep disorder, I don’t have to keep fighting, right? I don’t have to keep asking the doctor to test me or insist to them that something is wrong. I can just…give up.

I’m fine. I’m just lazy. And that’s okay. It has to be, because I hate the alternative. I don’t want to keep fighting a losing battle.

[putridement]

lmao would you guys believe me if i say that i want to go back to sleep after 15h of sleep? i’ve only been up for 4 hours tho.

i’ll try to eat and distract my mind for a bit.

[diospore]

bruh why the fuck is it so hard to wake up at normal times and drag myself out of bed. Like I should not be waking up at 3/4 pm In the damn afternoon.