Narcolepsy 360: Grace McGinnis

Grace McGinnis is a college student studying Pre Med, a Division 1 college athlete and also a person with Type 1 Narcolepsy. 

In this episode, Grace and Claire discuss how Grace functioned as a “sleepy child” and how she was aware at a young age that her experience of sleepiness wasn’t normal. In her sophomore year of high school, her health and performance as a swimmer were deteriorating. She sought insight from doctors. Around the 5th doctor, they suggested she get a sleep test. She was diagnosed with Type 1 Narcolepsy. 

Now, Grace is in college and is also a competitive swimmer for the University of Miami! Grace candidly shares how she navigates her daily life of practice, school and friendship. She recommends structure, schedule and naps! She also offers insight into what it has been like to be so transparent about her narcolepsy.

Grace’s honesty is so welcoming and it is no surprise as she has created a blog called Sleep G, to share her experience with sleep health and narcolepsy.

You can follow Grace at @sleepyg_zzz and @Grace_McGinnis on Instagram. She recommends joining narcolepsy groups on Facebook because as she says, “ It’s a great way to connect with people and learn more.”

You can follow Wake Up Narcolepsy at @narcolepsy_360 on Instagram, @wakeupnarcolepsy on Instagram and Facebook and @wakenarcolepsy on Twitter. Let us know your thoughts about this episode by using the hashtag #narcolepsy360 and please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.