Depressed? You May Be Snoring

Apr. 4, 2008— -- When Lissa Schulz, a 34-year-old mother of two living in Austin, Tex., was diagnosed with depression six years ago, she never suspected that something that she was doing in her sleep could be the root of her problem.

"I used to feel depressed, tired all the time, and not feel rested even after 12-15 hours of sleep per night," Schulz said. "I felt frustrated, irritated, and felt like a zombie walking through life."

She twice tried taking antidepressants, but they did not help. And her fatigue began to rule her life.

"I used to close my eyes on a red light and tell my daughter to wake me up when the light turned green," she said.

But two years ago, Schulz began to see an end to her torment when she was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — a condition in which a person is unable to breathe properly while asleep.

In patients with OSA, the tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep and blocks the airway, which keeps the air from getting into the lungs. This situation leads to snoring, which is usually accompanied by periods of silence — pauses in breathing — followed by choking or gasping sounds when the airway reopens. This can happen several times during the night and can be extremely disruptive to sleep.

After struggling with treatments that did not work for her, Schulz tried treatment with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) — a breathing device that delivers continuous pressurized air into a person's airway as they sleep.

Today, a year and a half after starting CPAP, Schulz said she feels like a new woman. Schulz now needs only seven to eight hours of sleep each night, and is able to participate in three different school committees.

"I started singing to the radio a few days after starting treatment, something that I haven't done in years," she said. "And most of my symptoms disappeared six to 12 months after starting treatment."

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine presents more evidence for Schulz's case. A study conducted by Dr. Daniel Schwartz at the University Community Hospital in Tampa, Fla., found that patients with Schulz's condition experienced less depression once they were treated with CPAP.