"These were rural back roads, so there wasn't a lot of traffic," Chappel-Farley recalls. "There weren't many other people on the road, and I can remember feeling my eyelids get heavy."She did what any person would do to stay awake: rolled down the windows and cranked songs from her favorite band (Blink-182). But as she chatted with her family later, she realized something was off—their conversations jumped erratically from topic to topic, without making much sense. Except, she hadn’t made it home yet.?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?Chappel-Farley was jolted awake as her car swerved. She had fallen asleep at the wheel for a few seconds, an incredibly dangerous moment made less catastrophic only by the deserted road."I didn't go off the road. I didn't get into an accident. But it was a very frightening experience, and one that has stayed with me," Chappel-Farley tells Parade. "I couldn't really understand why I couldn't make it just a 45-minute drive home, not late at night, without feeling this overwhelming sleepiness."Chappel-Farley is far from alone: She's one of the 30 million Americans with a health condition that causes excessive sleepiness, though only six million people are formally diagnosed and getting help. The number has continued to rise over the past two decades, making it even more important to prevent potentially life-threatening situations like the one Chappel-Farley experienced.Related: I Can't Stop Thinking About This Sleep Hack from Navy SEALs
Be Aware of This Sleep Condition
Chappel-Farley hadn't pulled an all-nighter or gone to sleep late the night before driving. In fact, she was the opposite of sleep-deprived, telling Parade that she was getting full nights of sleep and taking frequent naps of one to two hours. "I used to nap before going out to nearly any social event in the evening, whether it was for my sorority or just another get-together with friends," she explains. "I would give myself nap rewards for studying, so yes, I can nap very easily, and the pressure to sleep was very high." Chappel-Farley would later learn her excessive drowsiness was because of a condition called obstructive sleep apnea.
Miranda Chappel-Farley.How Common Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
One in five adults with moderate-to-severe OSA remains undiagnosed and untreated. Men are more commonly affected, but that doesn't mean women are immune. The differences in diagnosis rates between sexes make it easy for women to be overlooked for OSA.
Women with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to experience diagnostic delays because it's often considered more of a male-centric health condition. As a result, women experiencing daytime sleepiness receive less treatment, which eventually increases their risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. One study found that women with OSA had a 28% higher risk of dying early than women without OSA. Related: I Tried Mouth Taping for Two Months; Here Are the Results
Sleep Apnea Looks Different in Women
fatigueinsomniamorning headachesmood disturbances
All the above symptoms may be easily misdiagnosed as other conditions. "Sleep apnea can actually affect anyone of any age, of any sex and body type," Chappel-Farley says. "There really isn't any single face of the disease."
Miranda Chappel-Farley is now living a life free from drowsiness.Up Next:
Related: Why You Keep Waking Up in the Middle of the Night—and What Your Body’s Trying To Tell You
Sources
Miranda Chappel-Farley, Ph.D, is a postdoctoral research fellow specializing in sleep medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.What doctors wish patients knew about sleep apnea. American Medical Association.Rising cardiovascular mortality among obstructive sleep apnea patients: United States epidemiological trends (1999–2019). Heart & Lung.Obstructive Sleep Apnea. National Library of Medicine.The public health burden of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Science.Women with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing are less likely to be diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea than men. Sleep Medicine.Long-term welfare consequences of sleep apnea in 20–64-year-olds—influence of gender: a nationwide cohort study. Sleep.The gender gap in obstructive sleep apnea: unmasking the disproportionate costs on women. Sleep. Read More Details
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