That’s what other drivers and Vermont State Troopers told her minutes after her car hit two guard rails and spun into a ditch in the median strip on a busy highway.
“I must have fallen asleep at 65 miles per hour,” says Sylvie, recalling the accident two years ago. “They said I would have died if I wasn’t wearing my seat belt!”
Sylvie, of Williamstown, VT, thinks her chronic fatigue started 20 years ago. “For years I snored and was always tired. Even if I was in bed for 8 hours, I’d fall asleep during the day, no matter where I was.”
After the accident, Sylvie, age 52, wasn’t allowed to drive until she had a sleep test. Her doctor prescribed an overnight study at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, where she was diagnosed with sleep apnea. CPAP therapy was prescribed (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) -- a face mask and device that sends a gentle airflow to keep air passages open during sleep and prevents apneas or temporary suspension of breathing. These breathing stoppages prevent the deep REM sleep people need for a truly restful night. After one year on CPAP, her doctor prescribed BiPap -- Bilevel is used when the addition of pressure support is needed.
“I was fitted and got my equipment from National Sleep Therapy,” she says. “Their staff and service are excellent and they let me try a few different masks until I found the right fit.”
“My quality of life is so much better now,” says Sylvie. “I’m getting about 9 hours of sleep most nights. I’m more alert and energetic. I can watch an entire movie without falling asleep. And this episode was a wake-up call with side benefits: I’m working to control my weight and I’m getting more exercise.”
“Before the accident, I had never heard of sleep apnea. I had no idea it was an actual disorder which caused my fatigue,” Sylvie says. “Now that I’ve done some research and talk about it, I’m amazed at how many people are afflicted. My advice: More patients and doctors need to be educated about signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and how CPAP therapy works.”
Some 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, though most have yet to be diagnosed. Untreated, sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, and can result in workplace and highway accidents. For more information: 888.867.8840, support@nstherapy.com or cpapchat.org Company website: www.nstherapy.com.
Also see: https://www.facebook.com/nstherapy. A free ‘CPAP Chat’ virtual support session on the first Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 pm (ET). It is open to all, including CPAP users, people who have sleep issues, health care professionals, and anyone else interested in the topic. Session host is Eric Cohen, President of National Sleep Therapy.
By Stanley Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com
By Stanley Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com
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