Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM: What we are seeing today is an epidemic of sleep deprivation. Roughly 10 percent of the population at any given time could have sleep apnea.
That's actually more people than have diabetes and asthma combined.
Adam: When I don't sleep well, I mean, you are constantly exhausted, and constantly having a feeling of being lethargic.
Laura: He can tend to move the bed if he is really, really snoring.
Adam: I think it did have an impact on my relationship with my wife. When the next day you are both so tired because of this miserable night that you've just had.
Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM: Adam came to see me for a consult where we discussed what was going on with his sleep at night. What we decided was to have a formal sleep study.
Adam: You are going to go into a room that is very non-clinical. It's a room like you would have set up as a guest room.
What they do is they make you familiar with everything about the room. I mean, there's a bathroom, there's a shower.
Nurse: So, do you have any questions before I start putting all the wires on and give you an explanation?
Adam: And then she walked me through the whole process of what she was going to do I mean, from start to finish. They do put the electrodes on your head and it's very painless.
There are bands that go around your chest that monitor your breathing.
Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM: We reviewed the data and we discovered that Adam was stopping breathing in his sleep and snoring literally hundreds of times an hour. We decided that CPAP was the most appropriate form of treatment.
Nurse: So I'm going to place this up against your nose if you can hold onto that for me...
Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM: CPAP is a small mask attached to an air compressor which pushes air down his throat allowing him to breathe all evening long.
Nurse: Awesome. Ok, that's it. You can get some sleep, Ok.
Adam: I felt an impact immediately.
Laura: I sort of joke that he looks a little bit like Hannibal Lector, but its changed our life for the better.
Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM: Adam has lost weight, he feels better during the day, his concentration is better and he's less sleepy.
Adam: I actually dropped 45 pounds in a matter of 6 months.
Laura: His metabolism completely got into check. And he looks amazing.
Adam: My sleep now is incredible.
Laura: There's not that disgruntled married conflict going on when we are going to sleep.
: Whoa! Wooo!
Adam: I think it's an easier fix than people realize.