David, I have sleep apnea. My family had started complaining that I was snoring but I didn't think much of it. Then last year I started to fall asleep at work and then I started falling asleep when I was driving. And that was when I talked to my doctor and she had me do the sleep study. The sleep study is when you spend all night at a facility. They hook you up to some monitors to tape how many times you stop breathing every hour. I stopped breathing on an average of 57 times every hour - when you stop breathing you wake yourself up which is why you are so tired the next day. After that first time at the facility you go back a second time and they give you a machine to use and check how often you stop breathing. Fortunately my insurance paid most of this bill.

I know use the machine every night. It does not help me as much as my friend who also got one about the time I did too. I seem to have an additional problem - that has something to do with restless leg syndrome but I can't take the medicine for it. Anyway the machine has a memory card in it that a doctor has a machine to read so he can see how you are doing. I am now down to stopping breathing about 2 times an hour which is really good. My friend who fell asleep every time she sat down is now feeling so much better. She has more energy and wouldn't do without her machine. I know I sleep better with it so I use it even though it hasn't completely solved my problem.

Sleep apnea is dangerous - as one person said - you can die from it - it causes high blood pressure, depression and other things. If I were you I would go get tested. It could not only save your life but change your life.