A Pudsey mum-of-two who has suffered from a sleeping disorder for most of her life has set up a self-help group for other sufferers of the condition.

The group, called Naps, is the first of its kind in the country and aims to help sufferers of Narcolepsy - a condition which causes sufferers to feel extremely lethargic and to go to sleep at inappropriate moments.

Cathy Hughes, 31, of The Lanes, Pudsey, has suffered from the condition for most of her life, but was only diagnosed by doctors earlier this year.

Now she has converted the loft of her home into an office where she has set up a support group and information service to help fellow sufferers of the condition and to educate their carers.

Cathy said: "I went through so much hassle to finally get a diagnosis and convince doctors I was actually suffering from the Narcolepsy.

"Really it was a question of diagnosing myself and after I'd done extensive research into the condition, I presented my doctor with the evidence and was finally given a diagnosis in April.

"Because there are so few resources and so little information and advice about Narcolepsy, I decided to set up my own self-help group at home in an attempt to educate other people about the condition."

Using her own Internet site and a £1,700 grant from Leeds City Council, Cathy has now been inundated with queries from people as far away as America and Australia.

"We offer practical advice and tips on how to cope with the condition," she said. "My family used to think I was a bit odd. I was terribly tired all the time and had a history of school reports which said that I tried, but that I was erratic."

Cathy's daughter, 12-year-old Rachel, has set up a group to mirror her mum's as part of a scheme which encourages children to get involved with their communities. Her CatNappers group will be at Volsec 99, a conference organised by Voluntary Action Leeds on Tuesday and Wednesday in the old Playhouse building, Leeds.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.