Celebrities With Sleeping Disorders
A recent study by NHS attributed insomnia to two reasons. Insomnia or Sleep Apnea can occur due to an underlying health issue or it could be from the fear triggered by a stressful event.
This sleep disorder can get in the way of everyday life causing heart disease, diabetes, mood and memory problems. Statistically speaking, more than 18 million adults in the US suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea and even Celebrities just like an average person have confronted it.
Here are few celebrities who have openly spoken about battling OSA.
Jimmi Kimmel has Narcolepsy:
Comedian and American late night show TV host, Jimmy Kimmel suffered from Narcolepsy, a neurological sleeping disorder.
The 49-year old revealed his neurological condition related to sleep apnea, in an interview with Esquire magazine in 2003.
" Truth be told, I'd rather have narcolepsy than not have it. When I get on a flight to Vegas, I'll fall asleep before the plane takes off and wake up after it's landed." he told Esquire.
Jennifer Aniston sleepwalks since childhood:
The Friends co-star has been sleepwalking since childhood.
Aniston is rumored to have suffered from somnambulism or "nighttime wandering".
In 2006, terrified Aniston revealed an incident. "I sleepwalk. I set off our alarm once. I was outside. The alarm scared the **** out of me and I woke up, and I was out by the pool equipment in the back. I don't know what I was doing. I heard this yelling because he's terrified, he hears the alarm and I'm not there!"
Shaquille O' Neal's had difficulty breathing:
Professional basketball player Shaquille O' Neal underwent a sleep study at Harvard. It was his girlfriend who prompted him to get tested after she found him gasping for breath.
Soon after he was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, the retired basketball player went on to promote an educational video creating awareness over the condition, in 2011.
He uses continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to stabilize his breath at night.
Roseanne Barr got her snoring on videotape
The popular comedian and TV personality opened up about her sleep apnea, on a show,"Roseanne Nuts" on life channel, in 2011.
She shared her problem with sleep and how her snoring didn't let her husband sleep.
Barr got her husband to videotape her snoring and then went for a sleep study.
Rosie O'Donnell stopped breathing for 40 seconds:
The popular comic and talk show host opened up about sleep apnea on a live show "The View," in 2007.
She wakes up almost 200 times in an 8-hr sleep shift and she pauses breathing for over 40 seconds.
Jerry Garcia death was linked to sleep apnea:
Singer and Grateful Dead's lead guitarist died of heart attack in 1995. His death was linked to sleep apnea, which caused cardiovascular complications according to his doctors.
Quincy Jones
Composer, record producer and Grammy award-winning Jazz trumpeter is also a sleep apnea sufferer.
Randy Jackson
Renowned Bassist and former "American Idol" judge have been dealing with diabetes, which is linked to his sleep apnea.
Though, his successful gastric bypass surgery and significant weight loss have given beneficial results on his health.
Rick Perry
Former Governor of Texas, Perry's condition was left undiagnosed for several years. In 2011, in his 53-second "oops" moment Perry couldn't fail to say what exactly he wanted to convey. Perry later admitted that he couldn't remember the third government agency he'd eliminate as President and this was due to his sleep apnea related issues according to his doctors.
Regis Philbin
Host of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" is rumored to be suffering from Obstructive sleep apnea. He was diagnosed with sleep apnea after his wife Joy prompted the Emmy award-winning host to get tested for his snoring.
Daniel Lawrence Whitney
Larry the Cable Guy's trainer in an interview, in 2011, revealed his struggle with sleep apnea.
"When Larry gets heavier, he struggles with sleep apnea. 'I can't breathe when I'm heavy,' he says", "That freaks me out," he told the People magazine.
