Like many people with HD, especially in the earlier stages of the condition, my sleep is disrupted due to reduced melatonin production and chorea movements at nighttime impacting REM phase sleep. I wake up exhausted each morning even when I have been asleep for a long time. I had a sleep polysomnography which helped identify how my sleep cycles are being negatively impacted by HD symptoms and design a sleep hygiene approach to help minimise this.

I used to track my sleep using a wrist-based fitness tracker but since I now have both arms completely tattooed this has stopped wrist fitness trackers from being able to detect my heart rate! I now use a ring-based finger fitness tracker instead. All my fingers are also tattooed but there is just enough skin visible there to allow the finger tracker to work properly.

For me, my sleep is also negatively impacted by loneliness, heartbreak, depression and social isolation. Because life has apparently decided that I can't even have the slightest bit of happiness, I also suffer from migraines with aura - I have done for many years. I take a daily preventative medication, which helps reduce the frequency of attacks (I am currently having about two migraines a week).