About 100 people climbed out of bed early Saturday morning to raise money and awareness for sufferers of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder estimated to affect one in 2,000 people.

Thing is, some brought beds with them to the first Suddenly Sleepy Saturday and Narcolepsy Bed Race at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Roanoke.

Six teams of racers built wheeled bed frames to hold twin-sized mattresses donated by a retailer for the event. The teams decorated their themed racing beds and donned homemade costumes celebrating everything from the Little Rascals to Sleeping Beauty. And although some racers looked comfortable in their pajamas, the huffing, puffing and water-guzzling started with the first turn around the course.

Teams were timed on how long it took them to navigate the course marked off around the church parking lot, and prizes were awarded for the fastest team, and the best overall bed design.

The event was organized by Dr. Mark Patterson, a Roanoke pediatrician, who said he became aware of the disorder because a member of his family has been diagnosed with it. Now he works with the national Narcolepsy Network , a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and advocacy.

According to the network’s website, narcolepsy is a sleep disorder involving irregular sleep patterns and significant disruptions of the normal sleep/wake cycle. Researchers believe genetic predisposition plays a role in the disorder, but viral infections such as flu and strep throat can trigger it, Patterson said.

Some medications can help sufferers manage the condition, but there is no cure.

Because symptoms range from mild to severe and can mimic other medical issues, in some cases diagnosis can take up to a decade, Patterson said. And aside from the debilitating nature of the disorder, narcolepsy can carry a stigma.

Sufferers are sometimes thought to be lazy or unproductive at work, Patterson said.

Patterson said he hopes holding an annual narcolepsy bed race in Roanoke will raise awareness among physicians, people who may be suffering from the condition and others in the community.

“Very few doctors know much about it, unless you’re a sleep specialist,” he said.

Dr. Camron Johnson of Physicians to Children agreed with Patterson, saying the perception is that narcolepsy is an affliction of adults. But children and teens develop it, too, she said.

In fact, out of three children Johnson treated last year for sleep problems, two eventually were diagnosed with narcolepsy, she said.

Because the symptoms are so varied, it takes a special sleep study to confirm the diagnosis, she said.

Johnson and her co-workers are perhaps more aware of the problems caused by narcolepsy because a nurse they work with suffers from the disorder.

“It’s something we, in our practice, live with every day,” Johnson said.

Johnson and a team of four others from her office won the fastest bed prize Saturday with a time of 2:10. Their theme was “Little Rascals,” with its decorations and the team costumes paying homage to the Depression-era comedy show.

Patterson said the team’s winning racing bed will be entered in Roanoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

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