First-Time CPAP Users Feel Refreshed Instead of Fatigued

One small lifestyle change can give sleep apnea patients a whole new lease on life. After only a few weeks sleeping with a CPAP machine, the constant fatigue from the sleep disorder fades, making way for improved energy and mood.

A study published in the January issue of the journal SLEEP provides proof that CPAP can drastically improve your everyday life.

A group of 59 middle-aged adults diagnosed with sleep apnea were randomly assigned to CPAP therapy or a placebo. The participants were instructed to use the equipment each night for three weeks. The group answered a questionnaire about fatigue and other sleep apnea symptoms before and after the treatment period.

Results show the subjects who used CPAP no longer suffered from clinically significant levels of fatigue after treatment. Self-reported energy levels also increased for CPAP users, and daytime sleepiness dropped.

The group that received a sham treatment did not see any benefit.

CPAP has other long-term benefits. It can save your life by reducing heart attack and stroke risk associated with sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles relax during sleep, causing the soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse and block the upper airway. The sleep disorder should never go untreated. If you think you may have sleep apnea, get checked out. Countless sleep centers across the U.S. offer overnight sleep studies for the diagnosis of sleep apnea.

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“Flying Cheap”: FRONTLINE Investigates Pilot Safety & Fatigue

Tonight on PBS, FRONTLINE takes a hard look at the regional airline industry in “Flying Cheap.” Are inexperienced, fatigued pilots putting passenger safety at risk?



The industry came under scrutiny a year ago when Continental flight 3407 crashed outside of Buffalo, N.Y. The flight was operated by a regional airline.

The ensuing investigation put a spotlight on the lifestyle of some regional airline pilots: Cross-country commutes. Long hours and low pay. Less experience and training. Sleeping in cramped “crash pads.”

FRONTLINE reports that regional airlines account for more than half of all scheduled domestic flights in the U.S. And they have been responsible for the last six fatal commercial airline accidents. Is pilot fatigue partly to blame?

“Flying Cheap” will be broadcast tonight at 9 p.m. EST on local PBS stations.

In December the Sleep Education Blog reported on sleep and airline safety. Other airline incidents have focused attention on sleep, sleep disorders and pilot fatigue.

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Gallup Survey: Did You Feel Well Rested Yesterday?

New Gallup-Healthways survey data show that 29 percent of U.S. adults said they did not feel well rested the day before the survey.

The survey involved 700,000 adults who were contacted by phone. It was conducted in 2008 and 2009. Respondents were asked, “Did you feel well rested yesterday?”

Women were more likely than men to report that they did not feel well rested. Rest also was more elusive for young adults, lower-income adults and those with at least one child in the household.

Older adults appeared to be the best rested. Only 19 percent of adults who were 65 years of age and older said they did not feel well rested.

Feeling well rested also was related to overall well-being. Fifty-one percent of people who were well rested considered themselves to be “thriving.” But only 39% of people who did not feel well rested were thriving.

A recent study suggested that your sleep may improve when you retire. Another study reported that working women sleep less than men.

In October the Sleep Education Blog reported on new survey data about the sleep of people in the U.S. In May it took a closer look at time-use survey data.

So what about you? Did you feel well rested yesterday – or today?

If not, maybe you need to make it a priority to get more sleep at night. Or maybe you need to seek help for a sleep disorder.

Get help for an ongoing sleep problem at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

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Sleep & Airline Safety: Pilot Fatigue

Last week the NTSB opened the public docket on its investigation of the Oct. 21 incident involving Northwest Airlines flight 188. It was the second incident this year to focus attention on sleep, sleep disorders and pilot fatigue.

For 77 minutes the pilots of flight 188 had failed to respond to radio contact from flight controllers. Then the flight overflew its destination by more than 100 miles.

The pilots claimed that they were distracted while discussing airline policies. But had they fallen asleep?

The NTSB has not yet made a determination of probable cause. But the NTSB interview summary reports that Captain Timothy Cheney went to a sleep disorders center about 15 years ago. He was seeking help for his loud snoring.

He was told that he didn’t have obstructive sleep apnea. But he began to use CPAP therapy voluntarily to control his snoring.

The scenario is eerily similar to an incident that occurred in 2008. A plane went 30 miles past its destination when both pilots fell asleep. One of them was later diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.

Earlier this year a plane crashed in Buffalo, N.Y. All 49 people on board and one person on the ground died in the Feb. 12 accident. It raised concerns about fatigue among the pilots of smaller, regional airlines.

In June the FAA responded by announcing an “expedited review of flight and rest rules.” The FAA also vowed to make pilot fatigue a “high priority.”



The FAA reports that regulations limiting flight time and pilot rest have been in place since the 1940s. An FAA proposal to update the rules in 1995 was never adopted based on “industry comments.”

In August the NTSB sent safety recommendations to the FAA. One recommendation was to “implement a program to identify pilots at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea.” Another was to conduct research examining pilot fatigue in “short-haul operations.”

The NTSB noted that these incidents are not isolated events. From 1995 to 2007 there were at least 17 reports of a flight crew member who fell asleep. In five cases both pilots fell asleep. And a 1999 NASA survey of regional pilots found that 80 percent admitted nodding off during a flight.

Image by caribb

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