Sleep apnoea can be as risky in driving simulations as drinking alcohol. Many people self-impose a driving ban or their GP may advise not to drive until after theyve undergone a sleep study and received their diagnosis. Whilst very sensible, this can take months, as currently the only option available to us, is for patients to stay overnight in hospital.

The number of referrals to UHS for sleep studies has increased by nearly 60% in the last ten years to around 800 each year and we simply dont have the infrastructure to conduct more patient studies. This means that potentially theres a large percentage of the population who are undiagnosed and pose a real danger to our roads.

In addition, a hospital is not your normal sleeping environment so patients tend to have to come back for multiple visits to get an accurate diagnosis, putting further strain on the NHS.

The GP referred me for a sleep study, but it was three months before I was even seen for an initial consultation. I didnt feel comfortable in hospital and struggled to sleep; attached to so many wires, in a hospital bed which was uncomfortable, with lots of noise and light coming through from the ward. They didnt get much of a reading at all and asked me back to do a second study, but the same thing happened.

I decided to leave it for six months, but the fatigue was all encompassing and I went back to Dr Dennison. He gave me the option of either coming back in for a third sleep study, being referred to a specialist in Oxford or having a home sleep kit test. I decided to have the test at home and slept so much better in my own bed. And it came back with a reading that I had sleep apnea - I was stopping breathing whilst asleep, nine times every hour. I had a reason why I was so tired at last!