What did people do before 1980 ?

I suspect my mom and dad had sleep apnea. Mom lived until 93 and had issues throughout her life that could have been due to the untreated sleep apnea. She lived a very active life until the last few years.

Dad lived until late 60s and died of a medical issue that as far as I know was not related to sleep apnea.

Shrug.

49er

Jim Carrol summed it up succinctly:
People Who Died.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjYWWDNZgas

BUT WE'RE ALIVE

I never heard of sleep apnea until 1975 when my dad had a stroke and a heart attack. He lived for about a week during which time the nurses pointed out that he had apnea and we watched him struggle to breathe. So, when I was diagnosed, I didn't hesitate to embrace the treatment!

Many of our parents and grandparents snored loudly, and almost certainly had OSA to one degree or another. And many of them lived long lives. Most OSA sufferers currently remain undiagnosed.

Many of us likely had OSA for decades before we were diagnosed.

Even in 1980, home CpAP machines were not common. What was it like to have sleep apnea back then? AWFUL!! Restless sleep. Gasping for air. Suffocating but can not wake up. AWFUL.