We often surrender to an afternoon nap
following a poor night's sleep.
But for 40-year-old sleep apnea patient Doug Hudson, "nap time" can arrive as early as 9:30 a.m. The disorder from which he suffers causes patients to briefly stop breathing while asleep. Apnea episodes can occur as many as 100 times per night. These constant interruptions interfere with normal sleep patterns and don't allow patients to experience deep sleep. Until his diagnosis last year, Mr. Hudson rarely felt refreshed when he awoke in the morning. In fact, the Calgary resident would often go to work feeling tired, and was usually plagued by sleepiness throughout the day. To fight excessive drowsiness, he was forced to take frequent naps, usually at lunch time and in the early evening.
At first, the father of five young children was puzzled by his never-ending state of somnolence. He thought his constant weariness was likely the scourge of a busy parent. A visit to his family doctor, however, and a subsequent examination by an ear, nose, and throat specialist suggested another cause. Upon hearing that he snored and suffered excessive daytime sleepiness (two major symptoms of sleep apnea), the specialist suggested Mr. Hudson be tested for the disorder. "I've been told for a number of years that I snore, but what really prompted me to seek help was the excessive sleepiness. I thought maybe I had a nasal blockage or something," he explains.
Although unaware he had the disorder, Mr. Hudson was quite familiar with sleep apnea. It was suggested he undergo a polysomnogram, a complicated test that helps diagnose the disorder. The test is usually administered during an overnight stay in a sleep lab. Wanting to avoid a hospital stay, Mr. Hudson sought the advice of his friend and former boss, Dr. John Remmers, before submitting to the test. "I knew Dr. Remmers was working on a portable home device for diagnosis called SnoreSAT. You take it home and hook yourself up to it for one night and then return it to the sleep lab for analysis by computer," says Mr. Hudson. "I was quite relieved I could use SnoreSAT because sleeping in the hospital isn't very relaxing." SnoreSAT is currently being used in clinical trials across the country. It is expected to be commercially available in the spring.
The home study confirmed that Mr. Hudson suffers from a mild form of the disorder that can be treated simply with a dental device worn at night to control snoring and prevent apnea episodes. The dental appliance, which resembles a protective mouth guard used by athletes, brings the jaw forward to keep the airway open. It's likely he'll have to use the device every night for the rest of his life, or until some new, more convenient therapy is discovered.
While it has a few minor drawbacks - the device takes extra time to get ready at night, and it's difficult to talk clearly once it's in place - Mr. Hudson says it has changed his life for the better. "Getting a good night's sleep has improved my energy level and has helped my concentration. I'm less irritable and generally just easier to get along with."
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