With the football season about to kick off, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is launching a new campaign to help parents, coaches and school administrators recognize the dangers of obstructive sleep apnea. Young football players, especially offensive and defensive lineman, are at an increasingly high risk of sleep apnea.
CBS Sports college football analyst Aaron Taylor, a former offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers, is helping the AASM promote sleep apnea awareness. Taylor is successfully treating his own sleep apnea and has noticed a significant improvement in his health and quality of life. His goal is to encourage young athletes to seek testing and treatment as early as possible, so that they can improve their performance and live longer, healthier lives.
Taylor has seen the consequences of untreated sleep apnea in his friends and teammates. During his time with the Green Bay Packers, he played alongside NFL great Reggie White, who died at the age of 43 from a cardiac condition. Sleep apnea was a contributing factor to White’s deteriorating health and, ultimately, his death.
For more information on the AASM’s campaign to educate young football players about the risk of sleep apnea, view the full press release. Sleep Education, the AASM’s public education website, has a story about Taylor’s experiences with sleep apnea, as well as information about the risk factors for sleep apnea.