Thomas Jefferson had sleep apnea?

roster · Post by **roster** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:23 pm

I got a kick out of the first article in cpaptalk's "Streaming CPAP and Sleep Apnea News" today http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-h ... alth-print. A mouse who sleeps standing up because he has sleep apnea!!!

It made me start wondering again about Thomas Jefferson. Some years ago, before I ever had a thought about sleep apnea, we were visiting Jefferson's summer home in Virginia. Now I knew that Jefferson was 6 feet 2 inches tall but I saw that his bed, built into the wall, was only about 4 feet long.

I asked one of the hosts about this and was told that Jefferson slept sitting up because he thought it was better for his health. Hmmm, do you think he had obstructive sleep apnea? He lived to the age of 83.

MD727 · Post by **MD727** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:01 pm

Check his signature on the Decleration of Independence - probably one of the sloppiest signatures on it - I'm guessing he was so tired from sitting in long meetings all day (and on top of his apnea problem) it showed in his penmenship...just kidding...with all due respect the man was one of founding fathers of this country and for that, I'm glad he lived as long as he did.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:24 pm

And Jefferson was not only brilliant, but a very complex man with (it seems to me) some charm and conflict resolution skills, not to mention charisma! We are all reaping the benefits of his construction of some of the guiding principles and documents most important to our democracy.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:55 pm

He should have had Ben Franklin build him a vacume sweeper, or a APAP. Jim

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:09 pm

Yes, but that lightning bolt to the key on the kite had to fry a few brain cells!

Mask