Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that affects people while they sleep.
The most common symptom is loud, heavy snoring, which is often treated as a joke. Beginning at about age 35, Fred Hampton, an overweight man who drove for a living became increasingly tired during the daytime. He napped frequently at lunchtime. During trips he sometimes pulled off the road to rest when he became too tired to continue. His wife was aware that he snored, had interruptions in his breathing, and gasped for breath during sleep.