Penn. teen suffering from rare sleeping disorder tired of sleeping through her life

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A Pennsylvania teen suffering from a rare “sleeping beauty” syndrome has snoozed through birthdays and holidays – and she’s tired of it.
Nicole Delien is battling Kleine-Levin syndrome, a bizarre condition that forces her to sleep 18 to 19 hours a day and leaves her in a sleepwalking state when she’s awake.
"She's never really adjusted to it," Delien’s mother, Vicki Delien, told the Chartiers Valley Patch. "She's 17 now and it really upsets her. She's missed out on a lot."
The teen has slept anywhere from 32 to 64 days in row. She once fell into a somnambulant state before Thanksgiving and didn’t wake up until well after Christmas.
Some 1,000 people suffer from Kleine-Levine, a syndrome that is incredibly difficult to diagnose given its rarity.
Delien battled the condition for 25 months before she was diagnosed. Doctors, at the time, thought she had West Nile virus - or epilepsy.
The disease, which is more common in males, usually appears in adolescence. At the start of each episode, the patient becomes increasingly drowsy and wakes only to eat or go to the bathroom.
"When awake, the patient’s whole demeanor is changed, often appearing “spacey” or childlike,” according to the Kleine-Levin Syndrome Foundation. “When awake he experiences confusion, disorientation, complete lack of energy (lethargy), and lack of emotions (apathy)."
Delien takes medicine to cut down on the number of episodes.
But there is no cure, leaving her family in constant fear of a relapse.
“She's just a normal kid," her mother said. "She's a very happy, bubbly teenage girl who enjoys everything and tries to be happy. When she goes into an episode it just tears everything apart."