S5E2: How a 16-Year-Old Learned to Stop Masking Narcolepsy

At just 16, Chloe has already lived through what most people spend decades trying to understand about themselves. Diagnosed with narcolepsy type 1 in seventh grade after a mysterious two-to-three month stretch of sleeping nearly 20 hours a day, Chloe went from straight-A student to fighting for her own accommodations — and came out the other side with a clear plan to become a sleep doctor.

In this episode, Narcolepsy Navigators co-hosts Kerly and Matilda (making her hosting debut!) sit down with Chloe to talk diagnosis, identity, dating with a chronic illness, self-advocacy, and why she wouldn't press the Red Button even if she could.

00:00

Welcome to Season 5 of Narcolepsy Navigators

00:46

Meet Chloe, and Matilda's co-hosting debut

06:33

Chloe's diagnosis story: 20 hours of sleep a day

08:16

The relief — and identity shift — of finally getting answers

11:14

Giving up competitive dance

14:32

Family, half-siblings, and explaining narcolepsy to divorced parents

17:11

Best friends who really understand

22:43

Dating and relationships with narcolepsy

26:19

Grief, acceptance, and learning to advocate for herself

33:34

A packed AP course load and the planner that keeps her sane

37:00

Career goals: becoming a sleep doctor

39:21

The Red Button Question

About The Guest: 

Chloe Chea is a student and advocate born and raised in Texas with a Chinese Cambodian background. Diagnosed with Narcolepsy Type 1 in 2021 at the age of 12, she is passionate about raising awareness for sleep disorders and empowering others navigating similar challenges. Her firsthand experience managing narcolepsy in academic and social settings fuels her commitment to advocacy, peer support, and bridging the gap between lived experience and understanding among younger populations. Chloe is actively involved in her school community and seizes opportunities to speak about narcolepsy and raise awareness whenever possible. In searching for outlets to deepen her impact while in high school, she discovered NapsForLife and Narcolepsy Navigators, whose work inspired her to become more involved in the sleep disorder community and eventually join the team to help carry its mission forward.. Though still early in her journey, Chloe is determined to make a lasting difference. She works at her family’s donut shop in her spare time, and plans to pursue a career in healthcare in hopes of helping to build a future where chronic illnesses like narcolepsy are better understood, accommodated, and treated with compassion, while fostering an empathetic and safe environment for all.