Quote:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - June 23, 2005

Sometimes the problem is obvious.

Sean O'Brien fell asleep in his car while stopped at a traffic light. He had fainting spells during which he collapsed and cracked his head.

"I had no energy, no motivation, no desire to do anything," the Dallas resident recalled.

Sometimes it's more subtle.

"I was feeling real tired, and a lot of sleep didn't help. My wife noticed my loud snoring. My blood pressure went up tremendously," said Jerome Edge of Kennesaw.

What Edge and O'Brien suffered from was obstructive sleep apnea, the most common cause of excessive daytime sleepiness and one of about 80 sleep disorders. A person suffering from apnea stops breathing during sleep when his or her airway collapses, preventing air from getting into the lungs. While most people awake occasionally during the night, a far-above-normal number of awakenings indicates obstructive sleep apnea and a need for treatment.

Each man eventually went for treatment to the sleep center at Georgia Lung Associates in Austell, one of the larger sleep disorder facilities that serve Northside communities in Cobb, north Fulton, south Forsyth and Cherokee counties. Each was outfitted with a mask-like device attached by a tube to a small bedside machine that aids breathing.

They claim they've been sleeping like babies since.

"My wife didn't know I was the same person," said O'Brien. "I don't snore a peep. My blood pressure has gone down. I'm less irritable."

The breathing device, known as CPAP (for continuous positive airway pressure), has made all the difference for Edge as well. "It's almost your best friend," he said. Recognition growing

More people with sleep disorders are seeking treatment at sleep centers such as Northside Hospital's facilities in Atlanta, Forsyth and Cherokee; WellStar Windy Hill Hospital's center in Marietta, one of the biggest in the nation; and Georgia Lung.

Estimates are that four in 100 middle-aged men and two in 100 middle-aged women have obstructive sleep apnea: about 18 million Americans overall. Tens of millions of others suffer from other sleep disorders, including insomnia, restless leg movements during sleep and narcolepsy.

Sleep disorder specialists say sleeping problems have gained widespread recognition as a serious health-care issue in the past two decades. Sleep centers and the physician specialists and technicians who diagnose, test and treat patients are increasing in number as a result.

A sleep center might have a two- or three-month waiting list. The hotel-like bedrooms where overnight sleep studies are conducted often are full five nights a week all year at the major centers. Doctors say sleep disorder treatment is typically covered under health insurance.

Medical professionals said most hospitals inside the Perimeter have some sort of sleep program. They vary greatly, however. Some have only a sleep lab where sleep tests are conducted. Others have multiple specialist physicians on site who deal with all manner of sleep disorders.

Sizes of the labs vary, too. Some facilities have one or two sleep-lab beds. Wellstar Windy Hill has 12. The larger centers also have staff trained in other medical areas such as pulmonary, neurological and psychological care.

"Awareness has increased exponentially," said Dr. Aris Iatridis, a sleep disorder physician at Georgia Lung. "It was a matter of people becoming aware this is an illness.

"People had a hard time taking it seriously."

One reason, he said, is that a sleep disorder can occur over a period of years, so a person might not be fully aware of it. Also, people tend to attribute sleep problems solely to factors like age, stress and general health.

"The whole sleep field is still on a growth curve. It has not reached its peak in terms of recognition or impact as a true medical disorder," said Russell Rosenberg, director of Northside Hospital's Sleep Medicine Institute.

Sleep loss that results from a disorder like apnea is a serious problem.

"It's like cigarette smoking --- it's not going to kill you today, but it's going to shave years off your life," said Susan Keller, director of WellStar Sleep Disorders Services.

Copyright 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution