orexin

A 28-year-old Japanese actor has revealed he was diagnosed with narcolepsy, an intractable sleep disorder. He said his doctor's remark, "It's amazing you've lived this long," came as a shock after years of struggling with severe morning fatigue he thought was ordinary tiredness. His disclosure is prompting discussion in Japan about the condition, alongside coverage of the sleep-related protein orexin and how genetics shape narcolepsy.