One mans testimony about how a Thanksgiving tradition saved his life.
John S. was sitting in the “dad chair” after a great Thanksgiving meal. The whole family was gathering to watch the afternoon gridiron when a shallow roar began to emerge from John. The kids’ look over at dad, he had done it again; he had fallen asleep and was now snoring in the middle of a crowd. If this was just a Thanksgiving tradition for John things would probably be just fine, but for John it was an everyday tradition.
John was always tired during the day. He would fall asleep every time he sat for a few minutes and always woke up feeling unrested no matter how much sleep he had gotten. What john didn’t know was that these patterns were common symptoms of sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder defined as the unconscious stoppage of breathing for short periods of time throughout a night’s sleep. With OSA, there is a soft tissue obstruction of the upper airway, which negatively impacts the flow of air. Pauses in breathing can be just a few seconds to minutes, and occur as little as five to as many as 30 times per hour.
While sleeping, John would have pauses in breathing; his body would react by waking him up to start normal breathing again. John would never feel fully rested because the constant wakening never allow him to enter REM sleep. Deep REM Sleep plays a crucial role in physical health. During REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep, blood flow decreases to the brain and redirects itself towards the muscles, allowing the body and mind to rest and recover. The more REM sleep you get, the more likely you will wake feeling refreshed and ready for peak performance during the day.
The longer John’s sleep apnea kept him from proper sleep the more tired he would become. Over time the body would try to rest any chance it got, increasing his risk for accidents during work or while driving a car. Not only were these risks increasing, but so were his risk for hypertension, heart attach, stoke and diabetes.
John’s family finally talked him into seeing a physician about his sleep problem. He was diagnosed with sleep apnea and his physician chose the best treatment solution for him. After receiving treatment he would tell everyone, “After one night of sleep I had more energy than I have ever had. It was truly amazing, It really was like I hadn’t sleep in years and finally I sleep for a month.”
If you have problems sleeping, suspect you might have sleep apnea, been diagnosed or would just like more information, contact one of our medical concierges today at 1-855-863-4537 to schedule a consultation.