Timothy Stow of Inver Grove Heights, Minn. worked hard, exercised often and thought he got plenty of sleep. Yet he never felt rested. The 20-year-old salesman dozed off during meetings and had four car accidents after falling asleep at the wheel. (46) (47) Electrodes affixed from head to toe kept track of all activity in his brain, heart, eyes, faces, arms and legs. (48) When he slept, the soft tissue at the back of his throat, near the base of his tongue, collapsed against itself, blocking air intake. Each time his breath was cut off—about 100 times an hour—his brain would alert him to awaken and breathe. He never woke to full consciousness, but neither did he fall into a deep, restful sleep. Sleep apnea afflicts millions of Americans, typically middle-aged, overweight men. The problem begins gradually with loud and prolonged snoring. (49) In severe cases, the victim spends most of his sleep time not breathing. Doctors at the center gave Stow a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. (50)