Woman in England sleep-shops, racks up thousands in debt
What's the story
Kelly Knipes, a 42-year-old woman from England, has accumulated over $3,800 (₹3,16,536) in debt due to her rare sleep disorder known as parasomnia. Diagnosed with the condition in 2018, Knipes engages in activities such as online shopping while asleep. "It's really upsetting and frustrating going to bed thinking, I don't know what the night is going to lead to," she shared with South West News Service.
Sleep shopping
Unconscious purchases lead to financial strain
Knipes has awakened to discover packages of items she ordered while asleep, including a full-sized plastic basketball court, tins of paint, books, and hundreds of Haribo candies. Knipes admitted that he was accumulating debt in various places. Her credit card details saved on her phone facilitated these unconscious purchases. The situation worsened when she unknowingly shared her financial information with scammers via text message while asleep, leading to a loss of $317 (₹26,413) from her bank account.
Financial security
Bank fraud attempts follow sleep-shopping incidents
Following the incident with scammers, Knipes experienced several fraud attempts on her accounts. Her bank managed to block these transactions, but she had to cancel cards multiple times due to security concerns. She revealed that many people have attempted to withdraw money from her bank. Despite eventually paying off her purchases, the financial strain and uncertainty continue to cause anxiety for Knipes.
Health struggles
Sleep apnea exacerbates parasomnia, adds to challenges
Knipes attributes her parasomnia to sleep apnea, a severe disorder causing intermittent cessation and resumption of breathing during sleep. This condition has worsened over time, adding to her challenges as a mother of three disabled children with epilepsy, deafness, and learning difficulties. To stay alert for her children, she avoids sleeping pills and uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device at night. However, the device sometimes causes her jaws to lock unknowingly.
Safety concerns
Parasomnia leads to dangerous behaviours, hospitalisation
Knipes's disorder has led to other dangerous behaviours such as overdosing on diabetes medication, leaving windows and doors open, and requiring hospitalisation. Despite these challenges, she remains resilient, acknowledging that it's simply something she has to deal with. Despite the difficulties posed by her condition, she remains focused on her children, stating that her condition is the least of her problems and that her primary concern is her children.