Restless Nights: Sleep Apnea

During the summer I found myself to be sleeping, but not really resting. My wife also told me that I was beginning to snore louder and louder; to the point where it was beginning to effect her sleep. It may have also effected my golf game because there were often times when I had very little energy towards the end of a round and my concentration on the course wasn't always the greatest. During a routine checkup with my doctor, who happens to specialize in sleep disorders, I mentioned these symptoms. Subsequently, I was tested for, and diagnosed with, sleep apnea. A person with sleep apnea stops breathing during sleep, often hundreds of times during the night, and often for a minute or longer.

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, "Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated."

Among those who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea are golfers Mark Calcavecchia and Hal Sutton; actors William Shatner, George Kennedy, John Candy, John Belushi and Chris Penn; author Anne Rice; Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia; NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White; and Rosie O'Donnell.

I am now using a a CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine to help me sleep at night. CPAP, which is one of the most common treatments, works by gently blowing pressurized room air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the throat open. This pressurized air acts as a "splint." The pressure is set according to the patient's needs at a level that eliminates the apneas and hypopneas that cause awakenings and sleep fragmentation, according to ASAA. I've used it for two nights now and it takes some getting used to, but hopefully, it will help me get better, healthier rest in the long term.