To sleep and not to dream
By SUSAN C. BRICKMAN, CNC CORRESPONDENT

November 2, 1998

Snoring can be a true sign of this condition and it's not a periodic slap from your sleeping partner or a late-night call from a neighbor disturbed by the racket. It's called sleep apnea, a situation in which breathing actually stops during sleep. It can lead to hypertension, a factor in heart attacks and strokes, as well as to serious cardiovascular problems. It affects about 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women, according to Dr. David White, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Brigham & Women's Hospital.

The center is affiliated with Sleep HealthCenters^®, clinics which provide diagnostic and treatment services to people with sleep disorders, says Stanley Goldstein, president of the centers. Like insomnia, the second biggest sleep disorder, apnea can reduce the quality of life, Goldstein says, and it can have serious consequences, including a higher incidence of auto and work-related accidents.

Sleep apnea is caused when the muscles in the airway behind the tongue and soft palate relax and close up, White says. "Oxygen goes down, carbon monoxide goes up and you have to wake up to start breathing," he says. The biggest symptom of this condition is snoring, although not everyone who snores necessarily has apnea, White says. If a spouse notices the partner has stopped breathing or if he or she gets sleepy all the time during the day, that can also be a sign of a sleep disorder problem.

Some physical characteristics can serve to predict who might be a candidate for apnea. White says someone who snores loudly, has a collar size of 16 or 17 inches and is obese could be a victim of sleep apnea. Sufferers are advised to stay away from alcohol and refrain from sleeping on their backs. There are other solutions, short of surgery, which include a continuous positive airway pressure device, a mask connected to a blower which produces pressure in the airways and helps to keep them open, White says. Dental appliances, including a rubber device that pulls the lower jaw forward to bring the tongue forward, can also be used with some good results. The final choice is surgery to create a larger airway, he says.

For more information, contact Sleep HealthCenters^® at (877) 753-3742 or via email to info@sleephealth.com.