Description

What if everything you think you know about narcolepsy is wrong—and what if the doctor teaching you about it is living through it right now? World Narcolepsy Day (Sept 22) sets the stage for this raw, unmissable episode featuring Dr. Lindsay McCullough: Assistant Professor, Associate Program Director at Rush University Medical Center, Project Sleep Ambassador, and a leader shaping tomorrow’s sleep doctors—all while managing her own narcolepsy.

Here are just three things this episode will change your mind about:

• Sleepiness isn’t always sleep apnea: Dr. McCullough pulls back the curtain on what narcolepsy really looks like—beyond the pop culture myths, revealing the truth about brain fog, emotional hurdles, medical gaslighting, and the impossible pressure to “power through.”
• High performers can risk everything by hiding invisible illness: She shares a heart-stopping journey from medical school burnout and misdiagnosis to finally demanding accommodations and finding her tribe—a cliffhanger every med student and doctor should hear.
• You’ll get hacks for energy, productivity, and real self-care—direct from a sleep expert living the science: From writing symptom diaries for diagnosis secrets, to real strategies for sleep hygiene and leveraging social support, these life lessons are the actual survival kit Dr. McCullough uses—and teaches the next generation.

If you’ve ever doubted your exhaustion, wondered if you’re “just tired,” or questioned whether your fatigue is really sleep apnea, this episode is for you. Your story—like so many—may be more than OSA.

This is not just another medical podcast. It’s a masterclass in resilience, self-advocacy, and redefining what’s possible for patients, trainees, and doctors alike.

Spread the word for World Narcolepsy Day—and be brave enough to ask if your exhaustion could be something else.