Harrisburg, April 2, 2002 – Sleep disorders seriously impact the health, safety and quality of life for millions of Americans, and State Sen. John N. Wozniak (D-Cambria) wants more people to be aware of these afflictions so they will seek treatment.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of if you don’t sleep properly," Wozniak said today at a National Sleep Awareness Week event he hosted in the Capitol Rotunda. "It is not your fault. You have a condition, and I encourage anyone with any of the symptoms of one of these disorders to seek treatment."

Wozniak has a personal stake in this quest. "I have a sleep disorder," he said at today’s event also attended by medical professionals and representatives of Pennsylvania sleep disorders treatment centers.

Despite experiencing sleep disorder symptoms for several years, Wozniak said he "stubbornly" resisted treatment. However, after persistent urging from family members, he said, "I finally went to a clinic and was diagnosed with sleep apnea."

In sleep apnea, normal breathing passages are blocked during sleep, forcing the afflicted person to wake frequently, often gasping for air. Since apnea sufferers are deprived of normal sleep, they are generally tired during their waking hours and often fall asleep at inappropriate times.

Wozniak said he was outfitted with a corrective device that promotes normal breathing while he sleeps. "There is such a remarkable difference in the way I feel from the time before I was diagnosed and now," he said.

"These sleep disorders are an epidemic," said Dr. Stanford S. Feinberg, a board-certified sleep specialist who also spoke at today’s Capitol event. He praised Wozniak for pronouncing his own condition in order to call attention to the need to recognize and treat sleep disorders.

"You are a man of vision, of courage, and, I think, of great fortitude," Feinberg told Wozniak. "The people of Pennsylvania owe you a great debt of gratitude."

Sleep disorders such as apnea, narcolepsy and insomnia affect health, public safety, and normal daytime activities such as work. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving while drowsy or asleep causes at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 40,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities each year.

Studies have linked sleep disorders or inadequate sleep to high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and depression, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Also, a recent Foundation poll reports that 37 percent of the adults responding experience daytime sleepiness at least a few days each month. Up to 47 million adults may be at risk for injury or health and behavior problems because inadequate sleep affects their alertness, according to the poll.

To seek appropriate treatment, Wozniak encourages anyone who believes they may have a sleep disorder to contact a center or clinic in their area. Information also is available through the National Sleep Foundation at

www.sleepfoundation.org, or (202) 347-3471.

In conjunction with the Foundation’s national campaign, Wozniak sponsored a Senate Resolution declaring April 1-7 as Sleep Awareness Week in Pennsylvania.

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