It disturbed his family's sleep, and kept him from going camping, on cruises, and on trips that required him to share a room. In hotels, he says, he stuffed towels under the hallway door. Mosley's symptoms led him to two sleep laboratories. Nine years ago, he was diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that causes frequent awakenings and daytime sleepiness.
Most patients are surprised at how well they actually do sleep in the lab.
If you seek professional help, he advises, take the tapes along. He also describes oral appliances, surgery, medication, and Breathe-Right nasal strips. Mosley provides authoritative information, based on interviews with sleep experts, and includes black and white line drawings and photos to show what many of these approaches involve. He suggests that patients consult sleep specialists certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and offers guidelines on selecting physicians, dentists, and sleep centers. Mosley also includes a checklist for patients on how to evaluate their doctors and self-help tips for patients on overcoming symptoms associated with snoring, such as dry mouth and bad breath.