Famous Figures Who Suffered from Sleep Apnea

March 27, 2025

This eBook from Blue Heron Health News

Back in the spring of 2008, Christian Goodman put together a group of like-minded people – natural researchers who want to help humanity gain optimum health with the help of cures that nature has provided. He gathered people who already know much about natural medicine and setup blueheronhealthnews.com.

Today, Blue Heron Health News provides a variety of remedies for different kinds of illnesses. All of their remedies are natural and safe, so they can be used by anyone regardless of their health condition. Countless articles and eBooks are available on their website from Christian himself and other natural health enthusiasts, such as Julissa Clay , Shelly Manning , Jodi Knapp and Scott Davis.

The Stop Snoring And Sleep Apnea Program™ By Christian Goodman The Stop Snoring and Sleep Apnea Program is a well-researched program created to help stop snoring and sleep apnea so that you can have a good night sleep. The techniques that you will learn from this program works immediately. It will only take you 3-7 minutes to perform these simple exercises that the author has recommended but the results that you will get will help you have a good night sleep as soon as tonight. Within a week, snoring will be a thing of the past.

Famous Figures Who Suffered from Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, a common but potentially deadly sleep disorder, affects every area of life, including many public personalities. The celebrities listed below have been diagnosed with sleep apnea:

Shaquille O’Neal: The retired NBA great was diagnosed with sleep apnea following a sleep test at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine. His form involved the falling of his tongue during sleep that caused huge breathing gaps. ​
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William Shatner: Famous for his role as Captain Kirk on the Star Trek franchise, Shatner has openly discussed the challenges he faces with sleep apnea.
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Rosie O’Donnell: The comedian and actress has been open about her diagnosis and the necessity of seeking treatment for sleep apnea.

Regis Philbin: The television host with a large fan base was likewise known to have sleep apnea, highlighting how the condition affects anyone in the limelight.
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Randy Jackson: The artist and former panelist on the American Idol panel has talked of his experience of sleep apnea, exaggerating the need for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Carrie Fisher: The actress, best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, died with sleep apnea among the contributing factors in 2016. ​
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Reggie White: The passing of the NFL Hall of Famer was attributed to sleep apnea complications, an indication of the severity of the condition. ​
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John Candy: The late comedian and actor was said to have suffered from sleep apnea, which may have been a factor in his premature death.

Amy Poehler: The actress, director, producer, and writer is among the celebrities diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Brett Favre: The former NFL quarterback has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, bringing attention to the condition among athletes.

These cases prove that sleep apnea does not discriminate and can attack anyone, whether they are famous or not, or whatever their profession. Their openness to let people know they have been diagnosed with it has helped wake people up to the fact that this sleeping disorder must be diagnosed and treated.
Surgery for sleep apnea has evolved greatly since it first began, from highly invasive to more advanced, less invasive, and customized procedures. Here is a look at its history:

1. Early Surgical Techniques (1970s–1990s)
Tracheostomy (1970s): Initial major surgery for treatment of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Involved cutting a hole in the windpipe, bypassing upper airway obstruction. Successful but impractical because of lifestyle impact.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) (1980s): As a less invasive alternative, this procedure removed tissue from the soft palate and uvula to widen the airway. However, long-term success was inconsistent (~40-60% success rate).

Genioglossus Advancement (1990s): Targeting preventing the backward collapse of the tongue during sleep, this procedure relocated the attachment of the tongue muscle more forward.

2. Advancement of Multilevel Surgery (2000s)
Operating surgeons understood that sleep apnea frequently entailed more than one site of airway obstruction (palate, tongue, and side walls), thus the trend toward multilevel surgery that added up various procedures (e.g., UPPP + tongue base reduction).

Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA) then proved to be a successful alternative, moving the upper and lower jaw forward to expand the airway. Success rates were improved to 80-90%, but it was an extremely invasive treatment.

3. Minimally Invasive Procedures (2010s)
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): Used to reduce tissues in the soft palate and the tongue through heat, reducing obstruction with minimal recovery time.

Inspire Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (2014): A game-changing, implantable device stimulates tongue muscles to keep the airway open at night without conventional surgery. FDA-approved and very effective in a certain group of patients.

4. Contemporary Advances (2020s–Present)
Robotic-Assisted Surgery: Improves precision of tissue resection and airway remodeling.

Personalized & AI-Supported Techniques: Surgeons use AI and sleep studies to design customized procedures from anatomy.

Advances in Implantable Devices: Newer versions of hypoglossal nerve stimulation devices are more flexible and user-specific.

Future Trends
Stem Cell Therapy & Tissue Engineering: Research is on to regrow airway tissues rather than surgically excise them.

Enhanced AI Diagnostics: AI may be able to forecast the best surgery plan for each patient with less trial-and-error treatment.

Do you want information on a specific procedure or comparison to CPAP therapy?


The Stop Snoring And Sleep Apnea Program™ By Christian Goodman The Stop Snoring and Sleep Apnea Program is a well-researched program created to help stop snoring and sleep apnea so that you can have a good night sleep. The techniques that you will learn from this program works immediately. It will only take you 3-7 minutes to perform these simple exercises that the author has recommended but the results that you will get will help you have a good night sleep as soon as tonight. Within a week, snoring will be a thing of the past.

This eBook from Blue Heron Health News

Back in the spring of 2008, Christian Goodman put together a group of like-minded people – natural researchers who want to help humanity gain optimum health with the help of cures that nature has provided. He gathered people who already know much about natural medicine and setup blueheronhealthnews.com.

Today, Blue Heron Health News provides a variety of remedies for different kinds of illnesses. All of their remedies are natural and safe, so they can be used by anyone regardless of their health condition. Countless articles and eBooks are available on their website from Christian himself and other natural health enthusiasts, such as Julissa Clay , Shelly Manning , Jodi Knapp and Scott Davis.