Each year 100,000 automobile crashes are caused by drowsy drivers, resulting in more then 1,500 fatalities, and there are probably tens of millions whose personality, disposition, energy and relationships are seriously affected. Even though nearly all adults agree that sleep is as important to their health as nutrition and exercise, the majority of Americans are severely sleep deprived. Even some physicians do not take these symptoms seriously enough, prescribing sleeping pills when other diagnoses, therapy, devices, or treatment might cure or better cope with an individual's sleep disorder. But there is good help available. Sleep disorder centers have sprung up across America, including many in Western New York.
Sleep apnea is the most serious, potentially life-threatening condition.
It's actually a breathing disorder, in which certain structural problems in the breathing passages prevent oxygen from getting to the lungs and the bloodstream, causing the body to wake up briefly in order to resume normal breathing. These brief sleeping interruptions during the night can come as often as 20 to 100 or more per hour, destroying the possibility and benefits of a good night's sleep. An estimated 18 million people have sleep apnea. It occurs in all age groups, but is more common in men than in women. In many cases, sleep apnea can be relieved by behavior changes or use of devices such as a mask that allows air to travel freely through the nose and windpipe.