Snoring Isn't Normal
Bill Marshal, owner of a general contracting business in Half Moon Bay, grew up in construction and had snored for years. He knew that he woke up often in the night, but it took a visit from a friend and a trip to the Sleep Medicine Center at Stanford Hospital for Bill to understand that in his case, the snoring wasn't normal.
"My friend was visiting; we were in the family room watching a football game I guess, and I dozed off and stopped breathing for a while" recalls Bill. The friend recognized Bill's break in breathing while sleeping as sleep apnea, a condition he suffered from as well. "He told my wife Linda that she'd better have me checked out. We made an appointment with Stanford."
Sleep apnea affects approximately 7 percent to 10 percent of the US population, and is more commonly found in men than women. Many people suffering from sleep apnea don't even know they have it. However, the effects of untreated sleep apnea can be very serious, including hypertension, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, and diastolic heart failure. So how do you know if you are suffering from sleep apnea? There are a few signs that may indicate snoring might be a bigger problem than you or your loved ones think, most notably regular loud snoring, choking sounds or gasps while sleeping.
Bill arrived at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center only knowing that he was often sleepy throughout the day. "What happened was, that as much as I drive, I would fall asleep driving. Or I would get up to a red light and take a nap for 30 seconds or whatever, because I wasn't sleeping at night," says Bill.
When You Need More than a Pill
Sleeping pills are not the best treatment choice for people suffering from sleep apnea. Because a bad night's sleep in their case is actually the result of a restricted airway, these patients are often treated with a device called a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machine. This treatment involves sleeping with a nasal mask through which air is gently blown. The air acts as a splint to keep the airway from collapsing and prevents the airway blockages that seriously disrupt sleep (unbeknownst to the sleeper) and severely stress the heart and lungs.
"Getting a CPAP has made all of the difference in the world in two obvious ways," says Bill. "One being my ability to stay awake all day driving and functioning, and the other being able to get a good night's sleep and not endangering my health by not breathing for a minute or two at a time." It takes time for patients to fully adjust to sleeping with a CPAP device, and treatment compliance can become an issue. Seeing that new patients needed support and more sources of information, the Sleep Clinic began offering monthly group meetings for sleep apnea patients. Taking place at 6:15pm. on the first Wednesday of each month, the purpose of the Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic (AWAKE) group meetings are to provide a place for new patients to ask questions, learn from other patients' experiences, and to see that many others are struggling with similar problems. Many times people learn useful tips from other patients, and gain the resolve to persist in making their treatment more comfortable and effective. Newcomer meetings are followed by a general meeting, where a doctor gives a sleep-related presentation and addresses any unanswered questions. The information shared at the AWAKE meetings is often invaluable to people struggling to comply with what seems like a very cumbersome treatment at first.
"Some fit better than others, and you constantly have to adjust them somewhat. I don't know that you ever get to the point where it totally becomes second nature to you," admits Bill." But when I started using it, the result after a few days or a week was obvious. It's the difference between being able to stay asleep or not, and breathing is, of course, important."
AWAKE Meetings 2008
- May 7: Melatonin & Sleep
- June 4: Equipment Fair
For more information about AWAKE meetings at Stanford Hospital, contact (650) 723-6601.