(Part 2) Top products from r/Narcolepsy

Marketing and UX are heavily linked, the research and strategy are similar, especially personas.
Do you check out behance and dribbble? It helps with the visual part. Do you work on an app, a website or something more eclectic (real-life / street displays, softwares...)? Neurodesign helped me better understand the logic behind design rules.

> (1) In-house designs have weaker visuals than agency contributions.

When you start off, yeah, but in-house designers are actually better for UX products. Agencies rushes to put out something pretty but not really well-thought. My boss hired a “UX” agency last year and they showed us really cheap and messy screens, we had to redo almost the whole thing. Beyond the fact they didn’t think anything through they used weak UI (unaffordable CTA). They even tried selling us free components from flaticons lol. So trust your skills, design agencies are sometimes a fraud.

> (2) Reinventing the wheel for key components (and having it produced before realizing it).

Honestly best advice is to practice off-work while working on personal projects. Do you work on Sketch? Sketch + InVision + Zeplin is the sh*t. I learnt how t master the above to help my developers.

> (3) Misinterpreted business requirements.

Do you participate in strategy meetings?

(4) Very late or sometimes nonexistent handoffs.

You mean you forgot to deliver something? I’m not familiar with the term “handoffs”. I use Trello to list all the things I need to do. Mentor use Gantt Project to follow up our projects, you could use it for your works.

> (6) Keeping the master file organized and updated for multiple designers on top of my large workload (a large complaint I have, but haven't received).

Make Sketch libraries! You know the perfectly organised symbols? I worked my ass-off for 2 weeks to make up the perfect master file with changeable colour symbols 👌

You can message me on Telegram @tipsyonne if you need feedback on screens :) we could even study UX process together, I’ve been really led back because of the fatigue lol

I appreciate and share your enthusiasm for outreach and awareness! PM me if you want to talk more about this, I too have been trying to do more outreach with the community offline.

There are a few organizations for Narcolepsy awareness that I'm sure would appreciate the volunteers. A lot of organizations are funded by pharmaceutical companies though, if that turns you off, I really suggest doing some digging on these orgs. For example, the MoreThanTired campaign recently caught my eye, and then I realized it was funded by Jazz Pharma lol. Next!

Project Sleep is run by a Type 1 Narcoleptic who has done a lot out outreach. I suggest you look into what they have available.

Other than that, try looking on Meetup.com for a narcolepsy support group in your area. There is usually at least one in every major city, maybe you can attend and organize some sort of local outreach with the help of fellow narcoleptics in your area!

Instagram is a great way to spread awareness. There are a few Narcoleptic Instagrammers I follow and I myself try to post semi-frequently about my N in order to raise what awareness I can. Consider using social media to post memes, awareness, etc.

You can also channel your personal passions into advocacy. Like exercising? Run a 5k for Narcolepsy research and ask your loved ones to sponsor you! Tech/graphic design? Make cool gifs and graphs about Narcolepsy, post them everywhere! Art? Draw your experiences with N, get creative and submit to competitions and galleries. Writer? Write a book! There aren't enough books about Narcolepsy. We need way more things like this.

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Use this amazon smile link to donate to Narcolepsy Network with every purchase!

https://project-sleep.com/

https://narcolepsynetwork.org/narcolepsy-awareness-day/

This is the light box I use. The legs are annoying but it's so cheap so I bought 4. If you buy a light therapy box, definitely go with a trusted brand like the ones you find at your sleep center. I'm very happy with carex as a company. I had an issue with one of the lamps and they promptly sent me a replacement, despite it being past the warranty. They even followed up with me to make sure I got it.

I have it set up on a Wemo plug, but any smart plug will do. I would wait until black friday, all of my smart plugs were free-$5 on Amazon during a promotion, and I bet Amazon will have something for black friday.

This is one of the bulbs that is tunable. I have a few around the house now, I can't remember which is which, and I'm currently out of town. Bulbs also go on sale during black friday and prime day and all that jazz.

Good luck and happy sleeping!

-Sleep Hygiene -> bed/pillow/sheet/blanket comfort, room temperature, sounds/quiet, routine sleep schedule, etc...

-Allergies -> get them in check as best you can, a lot of things I had going on were additional matters to the N w/ C and by eliminating as well as just learning to live better according to, or by, reducing impact of allergens in the environment/s I'm in, as best possible. A few examples unrelated to food, I will bath and change clothes after being in the woods or a field for long (to get allergens off), I keep the cats out of my bedroom now, I clean my floor and household as best I can (a bit more than I had prior).

It turned out that I have a lot of them, 25 of the 28 done on the standard prik test. This I discovered in the same year that I discovered finally what N w/ C was (even though I'd been aware of something for most of my life, collapsing since around 20 from C).

Onto food allergies, discovering I have a wheat, rye, barley and so many other allergies, I decided to go Gluten Free and it has made a impact on many symptoms like skin breakouts, stomach clogging (not constipation but very few BM's), mood swings, and I'd say I've got less 'lethargy/laziness' which is different than tiredness, or sleepiness. Beyond that, I realized something in milk and cheese was causing me, not stomach gas but breathing constraint from what I assume was GERD or an allergy to caseins; so I also ended up Dairy Free. I cut out meat besides occasional fish and I stopped eating sugars besides in raw forms like fruit, honey or syrup.
The benefits have been profound, it took me a couple of years to really get comfortable with it, but not over 5 years later I'm still very glad I made the changes.
Cooking my own food is a big part of managing the diet.
I still very much deal day to day, as the N w/ C is very present if I'm not in a good balance.

-Read/Learn/Reflect/Grasp/Respect -> dive into understanding what the disease really is, what it is to you and what it is to others, you'll learn what it is thought to be by not just others, but also your doctor. There's tons of info, videos, forums out there to learn from. Dive into each symptom, analyze them from your own experiences, piece the dots together to connect your own perspective of what your Narcolepsy (with or without Cataplexy) is and how it effects you (going deep). Doing this can not only help one accept the entirety of it but also very much help them to decipher and/or juggle better, all of it.

-Pace/Ambitions/Life -> we all have a different path and as similar as some may seem, no two are or can be the same. Basically, I think it is important to not overdo myself, as it in the past has been so easy to do that and have to suffer consequences of that, for too long. With this disease, it's a toll of sleep deprivation and loss, that builds and builds, there is no cure. I'm not gonna say we all in our society are running a never ending rat race, but I sure realized that I don't have what that takes and many people, seem to have that ability.

Taking a step back and reflecting with hindsight is huge. Perhaps living life in a different sort of way, be that slight or be that dramatic, change can be hard but it can sure be beneficial. The thing that is key is balance. N w/ C involves a lot of imbalances, you know the regulation in our brains of so much critical and mostly autonomous stuff is broken, so it takes strength, awareness with attentiveness to even begin to find a balance that works.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989991911

To be honest, I've never really participated in a traditional hiring process, so I don't know. I'm confident enough in my general competence that applying for jobs in the future doesn't really scare me. It seems your career philosophy is fairly traditional, which isn't a bad thing, but I do think "committing" less to one specific track can save you a lot of stress.

I would check out So Good They Can't Ignore You, by Cal Newport. If you can learn to work around your ailments and hone a special skillset, I believe you'll be respected and desirable as an employee! I don't know about outdoorsy stuff, but I am confident you can pave a way for yourself to do something at least park ranger-esque. Though you'll need to play the long game. Keep learning after college and consider everything research for eventual perfect job- one that caters to your interests + skills while accommodating your illness.

I know it sounds out there, but this sort of strategy could really be the way of the future. It's a risk worth taking, given that a traditional path (e.g. climbing a corporate ladder) is excessively difficult for PWN.

I swear by this sun lamp! I use it mostly for the winter blues, but I bet it would help with energy levels too. https://www.amazon.com/NatureBright-SunTouch-Light-Therapy-package/dp/B000W8Y7FY

Check out Howard Leigh ear plugs. Super comfortable and squishy, blocks out most sounds (including snoring partners). Couldn’t sleep at home or travel without them. I usually get a week or so out of each pair.

The Philips Wake Up light with dawn simulator alarm clock is nice. The light doesn't really wake me up but my husband loves it. It might work for you.

There's many models but here are some links:
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Wake-Up-Sunrise-Simulation-HF3505/dp/B00E91EGDS

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Morning-Wake-Up-Simulation-HF3520/dp/B0093162RM

• Vitamin D when I wake up.
  
  These 2 or 3 supplements right before going to sleep lets me sleep the whole night.
  
  
• Taurine (1-2g) to sleep deeper amazon
  
• L-Theanine to counteract caffeine amazon
  
• Magnesium Glycinate (200g) amazon
  
  If I had to choose just one, I'd start with the Taurine, then Magnesium (Mg).
  
  I've noticed the MG gives me vivid dreams. The Taurine & Theanine links are to bulk powders as they offer the cheapest long-term solution. You can purchase pills but they would run $10-30/month per supplement, vs the powders costing a couple of cents per day.
  
  There's some others here, but I haven't tried them: http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/PrinterFriendly.aspx?ID=1041&lang=EN

Thanks - I've been thinking of just doing the first dose and not the second as well.
I'm starting to think that my sleep isn't as disrupted as others with narcolepsy so maybe the Xyrem load is counteracting to some degree.
It's really hard to find any non-biased literature on this stuff other than this book: https://www.amazon.com/GHB-Natural-Enhancer-Ward-Dean/dp/0962741868/

Orange tinted glasses make a huge difference for me. I put them on around 7 or 8 and go to bed at midnight.

I use these after someone else here linked them: http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004JF3G08/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1473684011&sr=sr-1&keywords=sphere+gadget+technologies

This one! A little pricey but it worked for me.

Try a sunrise alarm clock. Amazon sells them from 60.00- overa hundred:

http://www.amazon.com/BioBrite-Pearl-SunRise-Alarm-Sounds/dp/B00656Z4IG

Up until earlier this year, I had been taking 3mg of meletonin for about 6months and it didn't really seem to be doing much. My sleep specialist then told me to drop down to 300mcg (0.3mg) as new research has shown that less can be more. I did a bit more research and it seemed to back her up, though I didn't look into it too much.

Supposedly, 0.3mg is the amount that the body naturally produces to signal sleep. That does was restricted to a specific prescription brand due to patenting, and people tend to believe that "more is better" with supplements, thus the really high doses you can get. After switching to the lower dose, my mood improved a bit during the day and it feels as if my sleep is a bit more regulated (I also have non-24, so nothing really helps everything). Doses greater than 1mg are reported to increase daytime drowsiness and depression, though they will often knock some people right out.

Do your research, and it's a supplement so regulation isn't the greatest. I take this

This thing?

Shock Clock 2 - Silent Smart Alarm Clock - Motion Tracking - Never Sleep in Or Hit Snooze Again https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P83FTR5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_unzgDb58KAAW2

Clocky is the little bastard that wakes me up.

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004MSMUGI

I use these pill timer caps which show you how much time has passed since the pill bottle has been opened. I bought them specifically bc i was always unsure if i had already taken my meds or not. This completely solved the problem

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GU4G0Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1406815754&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Those are the ones I get, and you're right, they are about $2 per patch. :/ it was only $20 per box when I started using them. Unfortunately you won't find them much cheaper.

[edit] Actually I just checked, and it's cheaper to get a box with a quantity of 7, that makes them $1.60 per patch. Just grab two boxes of that and it's a few bucks cheaper.

You could also go for Equate brand, but I hated those. They're tiny, transparent squares that have gooey glue, and they itch a lot. Habitrol is more of a sticker type adhesive, and they itch considerably less. They're circular and about an inch in diameter.

If you ever run out and need some in a pinch, the Rite Aid brand actually uses that brand, just in a Rite Aid box. But those are some ridiculous $40 per box so that would be for emergencies only where you couldn't wait for shipping.