Great example of how much ignorance there is about sleep or vigilance disorders, when the first conclusion reached by others is to accuse even a 75 year-old man of 'staying out late partying' or 'not getting enough sleep' (i.e. it must be his own fault). No mention or even suggestion of a possible medical or health issue as a cause, not even those that would be common for someone his age (e.g. heart problem, TIA due to carotid plaques, early signs of degenerative brain disease, etc.).
If a vigilance problem in a 75 y.o. man cannot even get linked or associated in the minds of others to a possible medical cause, imagine what a young person with undiagnosed narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or other abnormal somnolence has to go through. Hell, misconceptions about vigilance disorders is so prevalent and deeply ingrained, even we are 'trained' to believe these things about ourselves, resulting in delays of seeking help or proper treatment for years.
Still much work to do....
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