At 47 I had my own business and no problems by Christmas that year I was in hospital. Was very lucky that while staying with a friend the following May I collapsed and ended up in Stoke Mandavelle Hospital who transferred me to John Radcliffe in Oxford. I ended up under the care of one of the best sleep consulants in Europe who diagnosed it when I was 49. I dont fit the critera in age (too old) sex (mainly male) and certianly it has got better the first two years I would go to sleep and drift in and out of consciousness for weeks at a time when I came round I never remembered a thing. It still happens now but in days rather than weeks. A huge reason why it is so hard to diagnose is that you can also have periodswhen you fuction quite normally but have no memoryand many doctors will pass you on to Physioligists who think you have dissociative behavior. I am lead to berlieve that I am only one of two people who have it in the southern/western part of england.