Dear Dream Doctor -

I fall asleep while I am driving quite a bit. Today, I started closing my eyes, so I immediately put a mint in my mouth, and not more than 10 seconds later, I nodded off again. I am afraid that some day I will have an accident or drive off a cliff. Today, I did not eat breakfast (it occurred around 11 a.m.), but normally I fall asleep after I have eaten. Any solutions?

—Ken, Age 39, Lancaster, CA, USA

Hi Ken—

Odds are about 90 to 1 that you have a fairly severe case of obstructive sleep apnea—which is the medical phrase that describes a condition of difficulty breathing during sleep. For more information about sleep apnea, continue to read the sleep tips located here in the Sleep Apnea section.

You are falling asleep during the day because your sleep is not restorative at night. When you experience difficulty breathing during sleep, your brain awakens you frequently in order to “jump start” the breathing process. These frequent arousals—often as many as 60 in one hour—or one per minute—cause you to not get as much deep (DELTA), and dreaming (REM) sleep as your body needs. Even though you may be sleeping eight hours per night or more in order to compensate—your body is still experiencing a chronic sleep deficit.

You are tired behind the wheel because driving is a sedentary, mildly hypnotic activity that, nevertheless, demands our constant vigilance. Unfortunately, you are absolutely right to be frightened of driving off the road during one of these “sleep attacks.” On the other hand, I am glad you have chosen to seek information for your condition before you actually do have an accident.

I have worked with thousands of patients successsfully treating sleep apnea. The great news is that it’s so easy to treat. And your first words, after receiving treatment, I promise you, will be: “I wish I’d done this five years ago.” So don’t put it off another day. Contact the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to locate a sleep disorders center near you.