California cheerleader diagnosed with narcolepsy after symptoms brushed off as ‘teen laziness’

A two-time world champion cheerleader from California’s Riverside County struggled to stay awake during the day despite sleeping through the night –– until a study revealed she was suffering from a chronic brain disorder.

Rylie Shaw, 22, spent her teenage years running from one doctor to the other with her parents to figure out what was wrong as she could not stay awake, no matter what.

“At first, it was brushed off as typical teenage laziness. But I was exhausted all the time. I had to cancel plans, cut back on cheerleading and miss out on things I enjoyed because my body never felt rested. I could fall asleep anywhere,” she wrote in a Sept. 5 Newsweek article.

Different doctors had different diagnoses –– some said she may have an attention disorder, other said it could be because of depression.

She even got blood work done for diabetes as she didn’t want any stone unturned. But, nothing seemed to explain what she was going through.

When she was 17, she ended up visiting an ear, nose and throat specialist because she thought “breathing problems might be affecting” her sleep.

“The doctor found that I had a deviated septum and a collapsing nostril, but before discussing surgery, he recommended a sleep study,” she wrote.

The sleep study provided clear answers by diagnosing her with idiopathic hypersomnia — a rare neurological disorder marked by extreme, unyielding daytime sleepiness regardless of how much rest she got — which later progressed to narcolepsy.

Over time, she developed cataplexy, a condition marked by sudden, conscious muscle weakness triggered by intense emotions. In her case, these episodes were most frequently brought on by a simple sense of relief.

“I was heavily involved in cheerleading at the time. After competitions, I’d feel relieved that the event was over and sometimes suddenly collapse to the floor. Eventually, I had to quit because I became an unreliable teammate. Nobody knew when I might suddenly fall asleep or experience an episode,” Shaw wrote in the article.

In 2023, she shifted to managing the disorder with medication that helped regulate her sleep and provided her body the rest it needed. “The difference has been significant,” the 22-year-old said.

Travel poses one of her greatest challenges, as sleep disruption impacts her far more severely than it does most people. Despite living in California, even a relatively short trip to Hawaii left her needing about a week to fully recover once she returned home.

“I have had to adjust my expectations and accept a slower pace of life, which can be difficult because I am naturally ambitious. I avoid activities that induce adrenaline, and I have to be careful about how much I take on,” the competitive cheerleader said.

Shaw, who has 1.5 million followers on TikTok and 61,000 followers on Facebook, uses social media to share her experience of living with narcolepsy.

“Some parts of life don’t come as easily to me as they do to other people. That’s something I’ve had to accept. But receiving a diagnosis also gave me answers, and eventually it gave me purpose. Helping others and bringing attention to this condition gives me a sense of meaning, and that’s what keeps me hopeful and positive,” Shaw added.

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