Dave Jackson knows all to well about being tired so tired that he could barely function at times, so tired that he spent most of his life, sometimes up to 14 hours a day, sleeping.

After 20 years of irregular sleep patterns, he was finally diagnosed with a sleep disorder called apnea.

Since his diagnosis in January 2000, he has made it his personal mission to help others by forming AWAKE in Philly (Alert, Well And Keeping Energetic), one of more than 200 groups in the American Sleep Apnea Association's network.

AWAKE in Philly is a non-profit support group, formed in October by Jackson, for individuals with sleep disorders, specifically sleep apnea. The disorder causes a person's airway to collapse, resulting in suspensions of breathing that occur frequently during sleep.

A person with apnea stops breathing anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes during each episode. Five or more episodes a night may indicate apnea, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association.

Each episode ends with a loud snore or gasp for air, and the person begins breathing again. It affects 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women, according to the ASAA.

In Jackson's case, he noticed something wasn't right early on. The Northeast resident was plagued by extreme fatigue from adolescence through adulthood. He would regularly fall asleep at work and while driving. It was so bad that he was fired from his job because of his excessive sleeping.

He consulted several doctors over a span of 20 years. They repeatedly blamed it on the stresses in his life, such as his job, the demands of raising a family or the toll of going through a divorce.

"Every time I went, they (the doctors) said I was healthy and not to worry about it," he said. "I thought it was normal."

Before moving to the Northeast from Illinois in the fall of 1999, he was given a clean bill of health.

Over Thanksgiving of that year, he was staying with his friend, Michele A. Narcavage. She had gotten up during the night and noticed that he had stopped breathing for almost two minutes -- only to start again with a loud snore.

Narcavage, who has a brother with apnea, picked up on the possibility that Jackson may have had it too.

Narcavage, the vice president of AWAKE in Philly, suggested that Jackson have a sleep test to see if he had the disorder. He almost did not live to have the test.

In December 1999, he was admitted to the intensive-care unit at Frankford Hospital's Torresdale Campus with respiratory problems and heart complications, which were a result of his apnea.

"It's the silent killer," Jackson said, referring to the fact that most individuals don't realize they have apnea until something major happens to them.

The on-again, off-again pattern of breathing, night after night, takes its toll on the body and can be life-threatening.

Although Jackson was experiencing several of the signs of apnea, such as tiredness and memory loss, the doctors he'd consulted did not attribute it to the sleeping disorder.

"Most doctors aren't aware of it," Narcavage said. "There are over eighty sleeping disorders."

Jackson recovered and is being treated by Dr. Sigrid C. Veasey, the educational director at the University of Pennsylvania Sleep Center.

Jackson uses a machine called a BiPAP (Positive Airway Pressure), which gives him a constant supply of air while he sleeps. He noticed a difference within a few weeks of using the device.

"Now I can stay awake longer and sleep more regularly," he said.

AWAKE in Philly was formed to "create public awareness and educate the public about sleeping disorders," he said.

If you are one of the many individuals who often fall asleep during a television show or feel fatigued despite having eight hours of sleep, you may have a sleeping disorder.

It's probably not apnea, but it might be worth investigating. And AWAKE meetings are just the place to go to identify possible disorders and find support.

AWAKE in Philly meets the second Wednesday of every month at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St. The meetings are at 7 p.m. in the surgical conference room in the White Building.

As of October 1, 2002 at 11:27:08 AM EDT (-0500), the U.S. population was 
288,181,442. With estimates that about five percent of the population suffers from

obstructive sleep apnea, that means there are potentially

14,409,072 apneics in the U.S.

As of October 1, 2002 at 11:27:08 AM EDT (-0500), the world population was 
6,253,616,576. With estimates that about five percent of the population suffers 
from obstructive sleep apnea, that means there are potentially

312,680,829 apneics in the world.

Awake In Philly is a support group for individuals who have been diagnosed with at least one of the recognized sleep disorders, as well as anyone else impacted by those with sleep disorders. The information on the Awake In Philly website is not intended to replace medical advice, nor is any information to be misinterpreted as an attempt to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 

If you have questions about any of the medical conditions mentioned on this website, especially if you suspect that you (or someone you know) has sleep apnea, please contact a qualified medical professional immediately. The information is intended to provide support, guidance, and encouragement to others contending with the many challenges of sleep disorders. The goals of Awake In Philly are to support, educate, and inform those who feel the impact of sleep disorders, as well as the general public. Medical advice should only come from qualified, licensed, and trained health-care professionals.