We’re thrilled to share that Project Sleep’s advocacy around NBC’s Stumble and its narcolepsy depiction has been featured in Fast Company! The article, “NBC’s ‘Stumble’: Why does Hollywood insist on treating narcolepsy as a punchline?” highlights our community’s response to NBC Stumble narcolepsy portrayals and underscores the importance of accurate, respectful storytelling about sleep disorders in Hollywood.
Thanks to your incredible support, our petition calling for responsible representation in entertainment has now surpassed 2,000 signers — and this momentum helped bring our concerns with NBC’s Stumble narcolepsy storyline to national attention. Fast Company’s coverage shines a powerful spotlight on why representation matters and how harmful stereotypes can delay diagnosis, fuel stigma, and limit understanding for the millions of people living with narcolepsy worldwide.
All too often, TV and movies offer misleading depictions of sleep disorders, referring to sleep disorders as a punchline or put down, and failing to align with current medical knowledge or real-life experiences. These misrepresentations can have real consequences, leaving millions of people unaware that they could be living with sleep disorders because their symptoms don’t match the exaggerated or inaccurate portrayals they’ve seen on screen.
For many people, Hollywood’s depictions of a sleep disorder may be their only exposure to the condition’s symptoms and impacts on daily life. Thus, medical professionals, sleep advocates, and patient-driven organizations like Project Sleep must be aware of cinematic representations and join the conversation as much as possible.
If you’re going to use a real condition that impacts 200,000 Americans and 3 million people worldwide- including many children – I think it’s important to do your homework and work with medical experts and leading community groups.”
– Julie Flygare, JD, President & CEO of Project Sleep
Project Sleep’s Hollywood & Sleep Initiative works to improve the way sleep disorders — including the portrayal of narcolepsy in shows like NBC’s Stumble — appear on screen. We collaborate with writers, producers, and creators across the entertainment industry to encourage portrayals that raise awareness, reduce stigma, and ensure people with sleep disorders see themselves represented with accuracy and respect.
If you’re inspired by this moment, we invite you to explore the Hollywood & Sleep Initiative and learn how we’re working behind the scenes to spark real change in storytelling.
Moments like this don’t happen by accident — they happen because of you. Your advocacy, your signatures, and your belief in the power of patient stories are driving this movement forward and helping bring national visibility to issues like NBC Stumble’s narcolepsy depiction.
To keep this momentum going, please consider making a donation to Project Sleep. Your support fuels our efforts to elevate voices, educate the public, and challenge stereotypes wherever they show up.
