Dennis Kennedy

I have been trying to find a really good book on sleep apnea for quite a while now. I've now found Sleepless Nights, by Peretz Lavie, and recommend it most highly.

Lavie points out that sleep apnea as a diagnosis virtually did not exist until the last 20 years or so, even though reports of the symptoms go back quite a while in the literature. The "newness' of the condition is part of the reason for the lack of standard popular references.

Now, we are beginning to understand that perhaps 1 out of every 4 males over the age of 40 (and I'm one of them) has some level of sleep apnea. I'm certainly starting to run into a number of people with it.

Lavie's book is quite good, perhaps a little long on the history, but he's an insider and it is an interesting vantage point he provides. I stayed up way too late reading the book from cover to cover.

He also does a great job of sorting through the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options.

If you have sleep apnea or live with someone who does, this is a highly recommended read. If someone is complaining about your snoring, you probably will want to give this a look.

Most important, if you have a sleep apnea diagnosis and have decided to forego using a CPAP mask, you must read this book and reevaluate your decision.