Troy Trojan Offensive Players Tackle Sleep Apnea with Jones Medical Supply and Troy Regional Sleep Disorders Center

Local CPAP Provider and Sleep Disorders Center Test and Equip Troy Trojans
for Better Performance on and Off the Field The stats are in. This fall, 13 members of the Troy Trojans offensive line should sleep better and perform better on the field and in the classroom—and more importantly, have healthier lives—thanks to a sleep study partnership between Jones Medical Supply and the Troy Regional Sleep Disorders Center. After having a sleep study in early summer and sleeping with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for one month, each of these 13 players made significant improvements.

Thirteen of the offensive linemen opted to participate in the sleep study conducted by Troy Regional Sleep Disorders Center, which identified the number of apneas, or sleep events, they had. This is a moment during which the sleeper’s airway is blocked, causing him to stop breathing for at least 10 seconds due to a complete or partial blockage of his airway. All the 13 linemen experienced 10 to 18 or sleep events per hour during the study, with 23 per hour being the most. After a month of using a prescribed CPAP machine from Jones Medical Supply, every player had zero or one sleep event per hour.

The program kicked off in May with a sleep study of one Troy Trojan who said after sleeping with a CPAP machine for just one night, he felt better.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine™, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nearly 30 million Americans, and an estimated 80 percent of cases remain undiagnosed. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health consequences including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and depression.*
Jason Jones, owner of Jones Medical Supply, said symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, difficulty staying asleep, irritability, daytime tiredness and sleepiness . . . and being told by other people of stops in breathing for episodes during sleep. “A CPAP machine delivers continuous pressure according to settings prescribed by your sleep specialist to keep the throat from collapsing,” he explained. “This creates a situation where breathing normalizes and sleep quality improves. By continuing to sleep with CPAP machine and following their prescriptions, these players will get better sleep and have overall better health.”

“We are excited with the results these players have seen,” said Rick Smith, Troy Regional CEO. “Good sleep is such a vital part of good health, and we expect this to translate to better performance on the field, in the classroom and in life. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Jones Medical Supply on this exciting project.”

*National indicator report details importance of OSA diagnosis, treatment (aasm.org)