Breathing in Sleep May Be the Key to Well-being and Long-term Health Modern medicine is often employed like a map to the fountain of youth: seekers pursue testing and remedies to reverse the ravages of aging, distracted by empty promises masquerading as hope. Sleep apnea may be an extraordinary exception that proves the rule. There is no reason to live your remaining years in unnecessary decline. Too often we focus on symptoms without treating the cause. These symptoms and associated conditions may include: Snoring - Gasping or choking - Sleepiness/Fatigue - Insomnia - Hypertension - Diabetes - Heart problems (atrial fibrillation, heart attack, and heart failure) - Stroke - Memory loss (dementia) - Anxiety/Depression - ADD/ADHD - Night sweats - Heartburn (GERD) - Dry mouth - Teeth grinding (Bruxism) - Sore throat - Difficulty swallowing - Peeing at night (nocturia or enuresis) - Impotence - Movements or behaviors in sleep (parasomnias) - Nightmares - PTSD - Sleep paralysis - Leg cramps - Headaches - And more! The cause, time and time again, is sleep apnea. We miss it, our most trusted doctors and researchers miss it, and we face interminable suffering and decline when we don’t get it right. Obstructive sleep apnea is common, but too often undiagnosed, with an insidious nature that sneaks up on the affected individual. It contributes significantly to numerous symptoms that compromise quality of life and it has long-term health consequences. This first volume in a two-volume series explains what sleep apnea causes, and what causes sleep apnea, and provides guidance in diagnosis. Based on the latest sleep research and Dr. Peters’s extensive clinical experience, The Sleep Apnea Hypothesis is a two-volume tour de force that promises to transform the well-being and health of generations to come. Read More in an Edited Excerpt: As my 89-year-old grandma, Agnes, likes to remind me on occasion, “It’s hell to get old.” More than a nuisance, the cumulative decline that comes with aging can significantly compromise one’s quality of life and health. What if some of the problems so often associated with growing older didn’t need to occur? Better yet, what if some of these physical and mental impairments could be reversed? It is time to ask: Are you getting older—or are you getting sleep apnea? Sleep Changes with Age It is clear that sleep changes as we become older. Much like aging itself, sleep apnea sneaks up on you. It is insidious, and its role may be overlooked. Sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, triggering an awakening and often a drop in blood oxygen levels. The person who experiences it, and the person lying next to them, may not be aware of it. Though it is extremely common, its impacts on daytime function and health should not be dismissed. Beyond symptoms, there are important health consequences. It worsens high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. It is strongly linked to atrial fibrillation. It may lead to a heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. It exacerbates heart failure. Poor sleep worsens pain tolerance. In addition, sleep apnea contributes to the development of dementia. How many older people do you know with one or more of these problems? Probably every single one. It is important to get to an underlying root cause, a unifying diagnosis. Sleep apnea and many of its impacts are reversible. By treating it, you will not only add years to your life, but life to your years. And yes, my grandmother has treated her sleep apnea, and she feels better.