Personal stories about sleep studies

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Personal stories about sleep studies

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

Margaret, age 47: My husband snores so much when he sleeps that he has been keeping me awake. I don't think that he has been sleeping well either because sometimes he falls asleep when he is just talking to me. I discussed it with him, and we decided that he should have a sleep study to see if he has sleep apnea.

Jamal, age 37: Sometimes I snore so loudly that I wake myself from sleep. I am also tired during the day. I read somewhere that snoring could be a symptom of sleep apnea. I called my doctor and told her about my symptoms. She gave me a few tips to prevent snoring. I am going to try these methods first to see if they work before I think about having a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea.

Hal, age 41: I have been a truck driver for almost 20 years. In the last 2 years I have almost had a few driving accidents because I have a hard time staying awake while driving. When I sleep at home, my wife says that I stop breathing while I sleep. I am going to have a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea.

Frank, age 63: My partner says that sometimes I stop breathing while I am sleeping. Fortunately, I don't feel sleepy during the day. I talked with my doctor about my breathing problems because I think that I might have sleep apnea. She told me that it is common for older adults to have short lapses in breathing and that I probably don't need to have a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea unless I am having other problems.

Credits

Last updated:	July 13, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Jan Ulfberg, MD, PhD - Sleep Disorders
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC