Each individual has a specific daily sleep requirement. This is the amount of sleep that must be obtained each day on the average to avoid becoming sleep deprived. If the needed amount is not obtained, the lost sleep accumulates progressively as a larger and larger sleep indebtedness.
It has been estimated that 50,000 premature and preventable deaths may occur each year as a consequence of obstructive sleep apnea. The most common terminal events are heart attacks, strokes, and accidents. In spite of these serious consequences, the general public and the medical profession remain inadequately informed about this major health problem.
The continuation of this state of affairs should be regarded as both unacceptable and reprehensible since effective treatment is readily available and, if instituted soon enough, can often reverse the cardiovascular complications as well as providing miraculous relief of the behavioral and psychological symptoms.
- William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D
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