Tom Hanks said it best in A League of Their Own: "There's no crying! There's no crying in baseball!" For Andrew Rector, there was a lot of emotion after he was caught sleeping during a Yankees vs. Red Socks baseball game.

Mr. Rector apparently slept through loud applause in the game. Leave it to Twitter to mention sleep-disordered breathing (sleep apnea) as the possible cause of this patient's excessive sleeping.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

Attention problems
Difficulty concentrating or remaining focused
Excessive daytime sleepiness (such as falling asleep in public)
Irritability, depression, mood swings, or personality changes
Snoring
Waking up with headache, dry mouth or sore throat
Waking up to urinate more than 2-3 times nightly

According to the National Sleep Foundation, patients at-risk for sleep apnea include:

OSA occurs in all age groups and both sexes, but there are a number of factors that increase risk, including having a small upper airway (or large tongue, tonsils or uvula), being overweight, having a recessed chin, small jaw or a large overbite, a large neck size (17 inches or greater in a man, or 16 inches or greater in a woman), smoking and alcohol use, being age 40 or older, and ethnicity (African-Americans, Pacific-Islanders and Hispanics). Also, OSA seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis.

Sleep Apnea Testing is Painless, Fast, Easy, and Readily-Available

Given the ease and opportunity of credentialed, accredited sleep testing and sleep therapy at sleep labs Austin like SleepSomatics, there's just no reason to fall asleep during any sporting event! Get your in-lab sleep study today at SleepSomatics.

Concerned you aren't getting enough sleep? If you or someone you care about snores or is tired and fatigued during the day, sleep-disordered breathing (and sleep apnea) may be a serious risk. Get your sleep tested today by SleepSomatics, a professionally credentialed and accredited sleep test center located in Austin since 1999. Call 512.323.9253.

For more information, read this article's sources:

Mayo Clinic: Diseases and Conditions Sleep Apnea

New York Post: Yankees fan caught sleeping suing ESPN for $10 million

SB Nation: Sleeping Yankees fan sues ESPN for $10 million

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

This blog's thumbnail image credit goes to Daily Mail Online.