Face of Sleepiness

The main symptom of nocturnal sleep disorders is often excessive daytime sleepiness.
Although sleepiness can be a major contributor to decreased quality of life, and even
mortality, patients frequently grow habituated to their sleepiness, ignoring it and any
underlying disorder. One scarcely explored potential consequence that could motivate
patients to address sleep disorders is a sleepy facial appearance. No peer-reviewed
literature, to our knowledge, has explored whether inadequate or insufficient sleep actually
causes changes facial appearance. No published literature has examined the extent to which
treatment for sleep disorders might improve such facial changes, and perhaps motivate
patients to treat their sleep disorders.

To address these questions in a preliminary manner, therefore, the investigators propose to
use cutting-edge photographic technology to assess subtle changes in facial appearance. The
investigators will recruit 20 sleepy adult patients who are diagnosed with obstructive sleep
apnea, an ideal disease model in which subjects can be tested before and after alleviation
of severe sleepiness by home use of continuous positive airway pressure. Results of this
pilot study could show for the first time that successful treatment of a chronic sleep
disorder improves facial features commonly perceived as an undesirable sign of sleepiness.