Being diagnosed with sleep apnea is a huge mental mountain to overcome. On the one hand, he is constantly tired and falls asleep during the day, and on the other hand he has to wear something called a Nasal CPAP Mask and sleep at night like Darth Vader’s cousin. But rest assured that you are not alone in this climb, as many stars and historical figures have had the same problems; however, we are fortunate to live in a time when this disease is controllable.
Many of today’s personalities have publicly shared their travels on sleep apnea. From Rosie O’Donnell to Rosanne Barr and even Gene Simmons and Shaquille O’neal, Reality TV has opened their lives for everyone to see their battle for a good night’s sleep. Yes, there are always the comments about the masks to wear, but everyone agreed that the downside is small compared to the possibility of not feeling tired. Like us, they are surprised and rejuvenated to have a real night’s rest … something they missed.
Historically, many figures have had to deal with the effects of sleep apnea without the luxury of medical monitoring. Until modern times the many symptoms of sleep apnea have not been linked. Symptoms like snoring, restlessness, waking up in the middle of the night, and sleeping during 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 slept during the day (especially Napoleon, who fell asleep in the middle of meetings and events, often at the most inappropriate times). Often these numbers increase all hours of the night due to the inability to sleep. Interestingly, the most common thread is the almost mythical 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 loud snoring and requested that they be transferred to another location. If only the CPAP equipment had been developed and then more than one of these historical figures could have lived a very different life.
The moral of the story is that we are not alone in this silent disease. It is not something that has ever been cured and requires 1/4 of your life to be tied to a nasal CPAP mask and machine. But always remember that these little inconveniences are nothing when 3/4 of your life now has more energy and vigor. As a star or commoner, managing sleep apnea is an important way to lead a better life.