Sleep apnea?

Question

For a long time (several years) I "buzz" when I fall asleep or while I am sleeping. It deals with a kind of groaning noise, when I am woken up I often remember to have just had some talks in my dreams. Until now I thought this was due to the lively dreaming, however I have come across the sleep apnea while googling the symptoms. As it is when googling symptoms, I also recognize myself in some others of the mentioned ones.
Is there a known correlation between CF (I am CF patient) and sleep apnea?
Adenoids are only slightly present, the tonsils however are present and very large.

Answer

Hello,
the question about sleep apnea and other forms of sleep-related disturbances of breething and CF has already been subject of several investigations and there are of course patients, who have both problems. It seems that there is no accumulation, what does not strike, at least because of the fact that the classical risk factors for sleep apnea (overweight, high blood pressure, male gender, age over 50) do not fit well on the typical CF patient.
An important criterion for "self- judgement" is the quality of the night sleep: in case one feels well regained after a sufficient duration of the night rest, refreshed and relaxed or does one rather feels as tired as before going to sleep? What about instantly falling asleep over the day, during the meals or other not too boring activities (typical joke: to fall asleep when watching TV is not a hint for sleep apnoe but rather for a too boring program).
With best wishes
Prof. Dr. TOF Wagner

26.11.2013