Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts.  The breathing pauses associated with sleep apnea can last from a few seconds to minutes and often occur 5 to 30 times an hour.  Sleep apnea can disrupt sleep 3 or more nights a week.  This results in poor sleep quality that makes you exhausted during the day. 

Sleep apnea is very common, affecting more than twelve million Americans.  Most people who have sleep apnea do not know they have it because it only occurs during sleep.  A family member and/or bed partner may notice the signs of sleep apnea.  You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.  Sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, but some of the risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of 40.  Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, impotence, headaches, job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. 

Insurance companies often erroneously deny claims by people who suffer from sleep apnea and take the position that people with sleep apnea are not “disabled from a physical condition.”  Insurance companies deny these claims without understanding the physical consequences and disability that result from chronic sleep disruption. If you are disabled because of sleep apnea, or because of a combination of conditions that includes sleep apnea, and you are having problems with your disability insurer, call the DL Law Group immediately.  We have successfully resolved claim disputes for individuals with sleep apnea.