Breathing Problems a 
Common Culprit in Sleeplessness

Peggy Montero is resting easier these days and it’s all because her husband James is getting a good night’s sleep.

Not long ago, Peggy wasn’t sure what was happening to James. “He used to snore, then he’d stop breathing, then he’d sort of catch up, then start snoring again.”

These episodes woke James throughout the night — even though he was largely unaware of being wakened — and resulted in drowsiness and sluggishness the next day.  The solution for James, and the relief for Peggy, came from the Adirondack Sleep Disorders Lab at Glens Falls Hospital. 

It was there that Jim was diagnosed and successfully treated for obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes frequent, temporary closings of the air passages — and actual interruptions in breathing — during sleep. Apnea is the single most commonly diagnosed problem at the Lab.

“Usually people are dumbfounded,” says Technical Director Kerry Sumner. “They don’t realize they have a problem or how severe it is.”

At the Sleep Lab, patients spend a night under the unblinking eye of a video camera, while connected to a microphone and special devices that monitor electrical activity in the brain, breathing patterns, the amount of oxygen in the blood, muscle movement and heart rate.

If sleep apnea is diagnosed, the patient spends a second night in the lab using a breathing device —  similar to an oxygen mask —  hooked to a small compressor that prevents the interruptions in breathing. If the device is effective, the patient is provided with similar equipment to use at home.

 “When you give them a breathing mask they have their first good night’s sleep in years,” says Kerry. “They can't believe it. They say, ‘I’ve never felt this good in the morning. It’s the best sleep I’ve ever had.’”

More than 50,000,000 Americans suffer from some type of sleep disorder and as many as 200,000 traffic accidents each year may be attributable to sleepy drivers.