Obstructive sleep apnea disorder was discovered in 1965. Apnea is caused by a partial closing of the nasal pharynx airway during sleep. Those who suffer from the disorder actually stop breathing as they sleep—in some cases, as often as several hundred times per night. Patients seem to gasp for breath in their sleep and blood oxygen levels become abnormally low. However, they may be unaware of the breathing stoppages in the morning. In severe cases, patients may actually spend more time not breathing than breathing.

Up to 10 percent of the male population, up to 5 percent of all adult women, and up to 40 percent of all Americans over the age of sixty suffer from some form of sleep apnea. The vast majority does a lot of loud, intermittent snoring during the night and many are overweight. They may have the sensation of choking and may move about a great deal while in bed. Excessive sweating often occurs during sleep. Often, an irregular pounding of the heart occurs as the patient gasps for breath.

People with apnea may suffer from early-morning headaches and feel excessively sleepy throughout the day. Hallucinations sometimes occur while the patient is awake, but feeling extremely sleepy. Memory deterioration, personality changes, and impotence are common. Rapid weight gains, often approaching obesity, frequently occur.

Sufferers are hard to awaken, and if they are suddenly awakened, they frequently do not know where they are. Upon awaking, those who suffer from the “snoring sickness” usually will not recall having experienced an apneic episode in their sleep. A period of disorientation sometimes occurs immediately after waking. During such periods, the individual may have difficulty with his memory and give inappropriate answers to questions, acting as if he did not hear it or failed to understand what was asked.

The excessive daytime sleepiness caused by sleep apnea may produce serious or even fatal pulmonary and cardiovascular complications. Cardiovascular problems resulting from the illness may include blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, or deterioration of the heart muscle and its ability to pump blood, which can result in heart failure, heart attack, or stroke.

Apnea patients have twice the usual prevalence of hypertension, three times as much heart disease, and four times as much cerebrovascular disease. Other potential consequences include stroke, neuropsychiatric problems, cognitive impairment, sexual dysfunction, and injury due to accidents. Once a person develops sleep apnea, he appears to have it for life.

At least a million people are severely impaired by the disorder, and twice as many are partially impaired. Unfortunately, a very large percentage remains undiagnosed and untreated.