While you weren't sleeping

He’s snoring again.
That gurgling, sawing, choking kind of jangling that means he’s finally getting some sleep. But you’re not. And the worst part is when he stops snoring, because it also means he’s stopped breathing.

You’re both suffering from his sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. You’re not alone. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, more than 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and an estimated 10 million others remain undiagnosed.

“Apnea,” adapted from the Greek, means “without breath.” And sleep apnea is clinically defined as a repetitive cessation of breath during sleep, usually lasting between 10 and 60 seconds each episode.

“This repetitive breath-holding phenomenon can occur hundreds of times per night,” says Dr. Richard Kanak, a private practice pulmonologist who is currently medical director of Community Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center. “When someone with sleep apnea falls asleep, the tongue and other structures in the throat relax and fall back, cutting off the upper airway.

This relaxation is a natural part of the falling asleep process, but it happens to a greater degree for those with sleep apnea.”

When sleep apnea occurs, carbon dioxide begins to build up in the lungs. The brain, sensing that something is wrong, signals the body to wake up. With a “gasping snort,” the lungs suck in air, and the sleep apnea sufferer slips back into sleep until the next episode occurs, often only seconds later.

Although the sleep partner is painfully aware, the person with sleep apnea is often completely unaware that he or she barely slept during the night. What he does know is that he awakens groggy and unrefreshed, and will spend the day feeling drowsy, nodding off, and vowing to get to bed earlier. Exhaustion, however, may be the least of his problems.

“Besides causing people to be tired all the time,” says Kanak, “sleep apnea can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and diabetes, let alone accidents caused by sleepiness.”

There are plenty of luxurious places to sleep in a resort community like this one, but Community Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center is the ultimate resort for a good night’s sleep. Patients suffering from sleep anxiety, night terrors, narcolepsy (a frequent and uncontrollable need for short periods of deep sleep during waking hours), and sleep apnea may be referred to the center for diagnosis and treatment. Not to mention a restful night.

“Patients will spend one, sometimes two nights in the center,” says Kanak. “A registered polysomnographer (someone who studies a person’s sleep behavior) will administer a sleep study or polysomnogram to study the patient’s sleep patterns and quality of sleep throughout the first half of the night. During the second half of the night, treatment is provided. In the case of sleep apnea, this means implementing a C-PAP device (continuous positive airway pressure), which pushes air into the nose, expanding the throat and making breathing easier during sleep.”

Apnea patients who respond well to this treatment can purchase a C-PAP machine for continued use at home. Admittedly, wearing the device takes a little adjustment, but it definitely beats the alternative.

The “Sleep Resort,” which opened seven years ago and has served an average of 12 patients per week with a 6-to-8-week wait, has responded to increasing patient volume with a recent facility upgrade. The center has added two comfortable new beds to double its capacity, as well as increasing staff training and adding all new equipment. “Best of all, we reduced the 6-to-8-week wait down to 2 to 3 weeks after the initial consultation,” says Kathleen Catania, assistant director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

“This expansion,” Catania says, “is merely a prelude to our grand development and eventual move to Ryan Ranch. Slated to open at Ryan Ranch in mid-2004, the expansion will offer a much larger space with a more efficient design and enhanced ambiance.”

Before undergoing a sleep study, patients, spouses, or family members who suspect sleep disorders should seek referral from their doctors or contact the Sleep Disorders Center for a list of doctors who can consult and refer.

The Sleep Disorders Center is open Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for information and results, and from 8 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. for sleep studies.