Sometimes we take getting a good night of sleep for granted. This is not the case for Prince Fielder of the Texas Rangers. After complaining about having trouble sleeping, Fielder underwent a sleep study that led to being diagnosed with sleep apnea. The disease stopped Fielder from breathing 39 times in an hour during his sleep study.
“I wasn’t panicking,” Fielder said. “I just wanted to make sure I was okay. I felt like I was sleeping long but I wasn’t feeling rested. That was my concern trying to figure out what was wrong. Now that I know, it’s good.”
Prince Fielder was told that an extreme case of sleep apnea is stopping breathing 30 times in an hour. He tested at 39. #Rangers
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) March 11, 2016
Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring and feeling fatigued when waking up from sleep. Fortunately for Fielder, he took care of his problem by undergoing the sleep study to determine what may have been his problem. Having put the uncertainty behind him, Fielder returned to the team feeling upbeat and ready to have a good time with his Rangers teammates.
Fielder, who is now wearing a breathing mask when he sleeps, is also now advising others who could be affected by sleep apnea to take it seriously.
“As you get older, it starts to affect you differently,” Fielder said.
Bob Uecker had a long pre-game chat with Rangers’ Prince Fielder. To say the least, the sleep apnea thing is alarming. Said in good spirits.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) March 11, 2016
Sleep apnea was to blame for the passing of NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White in 2004. Those with sleep apnea are reported to die at a rate three times that of those without the condition, according to SportsDay.
On an unrelated note, Fielder made a brief guest appearance on the Snapchat (and Twitter) account of his previous team, the Milwaukee Brewers.
.@RealPFielder28 makes a special appearance on #Brewers Snapchat, courtesy of @JMontana41. #SnapchatDay pic.twitter.com/ukz6Utz5CD
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 11, 2016