Being diagnosed with Sleep Apnea is a huge mental mountain to get over. On one side you have being constantly tired and falling asleep during the day, and on the other side you have to wear something called a Nasal CPAP Mask and sleep the night looking like Darth Vader's cousin. But rest assured you are not alone in this climb as many stars and historical figures have had the same issues - yet we are fortunate to live in a time when this disease is controllable.
Many of today's personalities have publicly shared their Sleep Apnea journeys. From Rosie O'Donnell to Rosanne Barr to even Gene Simmons and Shaquille O'neal - Reality TV has opened up their lives for all to see their battle for a good night's sleep. Yes, there are always the comments about the masks they have to wear, but each one agreed that the inconvenience is small compared to the chance to not feel tired. Just like us, they're amazed and rejuvenated by getting a true night's rest... something long missed.
Historically many figures have had to deal with the effects of Sleep Apnea without the luxury of medical control. Not until modern times have the many symptoms of Sleep Apnea been tied together. Symptoms such as snoring, restlessness, waking in the middle of the night and sleeping throughout the day were simply thought of as quirks of the body and nothing more. Historical examples of people with these quirks are Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt and even Queen Victoria.
Through historical accounts we learn that many of these figures were daytime sleepers (especially Napoleon who would fall to sleep in the middle of meeting and events, often at the most inappropriate time). Often these figures would be up all hours of the night due to an inability to sleep. Interestingly the most common thread is the almost mythic stories of loud snoring. One night when Theodore Roosevelt was admitted to a hospital for treatment, the other patients on his wing registered complaints about his thunderous snoring and requested to be moved elsewhere. If only CPAP equipment had been developed and then more than one of these historical figures may have lived a much different life.
The moral of the story is that we are not alone in this silent disease. It is not something ever cured and requires 1/4 of your life being tied to a Nasal CPAP Mask and machine. But always remember that these small inconveniences are nothing when 3/4 of your life now has more energy and vigor. As a star, or a commoner, controlling sleep apnea is one important way to a better life.
Michael McLane
If you liked this article come and check out information on Nasal CPAP Masks and other information on Sleep Apnea.
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