News|Articles|September 3, 2026

The sleep doctor who lives with a disorder he treats

Author(s)Logan Lutton
Fact checked by: Tracy Ann Politowicz

Pediatric sleep specialist Luis Enrique Ortiz, M.D., opens up about living with Type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy, the long road to diagnosis and how the condition has shaped both his career and personal life.

Imagine sitting in a college lecture hall doing everything right: Your notebook is open, your coffee is in hand and you are determined to pay attention. And then, without warning, the professor's voice dissolves into gibberish. You do not realize you have fallen asleep. There is no sensation of drifting off, no gradual fade. One moment you are following along, and the next, a classmate’s elbow lands in your ribs, and you surface mid-sentence, disoriented, unsure how long you were gone.

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