Steve Chapman British man with Kleine-Levin syndrome Country: Great Britain

Biography of Steve Chapman

Steve Chapman, a 57-year-old British man, is a sufferer of a very rare condition known as Kleine-Levin syndrome, or Sleeping Beauty syndrome. This neurological disorder causes individuals to sleep for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 18 hours or more, with the cause of the disease still unknown to modern medicine. Steve is capable of sleeping for 60 consecutive hours without waking up and even exhibits activity during his sleep. When his wife first discovered that her sleeping husband could eat and even do some household chores without waking up, she was terrified. However, it was true – Steve would get out of bed, go to the kitchen, and have a snack without waking up. He doesn't remember his sleepwalking adventures, but he isn't surprised by them either. For example, if he finds candy wrappers near his bed, Steve simply concludes that he must have had a craving for something sweet. Furthermore, while still asleep, he is able to prepare simple meals, and once he even painted the ceiling from a ladder – all while sleepwalking! It was after the incident with the painted ceiling that Steve's wife became truly concerned, as he could potentially harm himself without being aware of it. Steve himself is philosophical about his condition – he believes that what will be, will be. By the way, special medications can help keep Steve awake. He even has a rather unique job – he works at a money printing press. The first signs of the disease appeared in Steve in 1980, and at that time, neither he nor his wife knew anything about Kleine-Levin syndrome, so their lives were filled with fear. Now that clarity has been brought to their situation, things have become somewhat easier – at least they both know how the disease manifests and what to expect. Steve received his diagnosis in 1999, and before that, many openly accused him of faking his symptoms. Only two people out of a million suffer from this rare condition – Sleeping Beauty syndrome. By the way, the disease predominantly affects men.

Today, Steve Chapman is an activist who seeks to raise awareness among the public about this rare but debilitating illness. He is convinced that there are others out there, like him before, who suffer from unexplained bouts of sleepiness that come on suddenly and engulf the person in a seemingly endless black hole. Steve Chapman firmly believes that the earlier the diagnosis is made, the easier it will be for the patient to cope with this unusual syndrome.