Sleep Apnea in the Media

Whether we believe it or not, sleep apnea has been stigmatized in the media and in our personal minds ever since we knew about it. Like everything, we had to learn about it somewhere.

Nowadays, we learn about these kinds of things from either TV, movies, or commercials. I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing, but you don’t really see sleep apnea portrayed in many things other than commercials for supplies.

I can’t really think of a movie or TV show that has shown a CPAP. I am sure there are some, and I feel like I may have seen them. But I just can’t remember it.

Celebrities in commercials are not like me

I think the main thing that bothers me is when they use celebrities to promote products in commercials. The one that comes to mind is for a cleaning product for continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP machines. Maybe it’s because I can’t see these people as genuine when promoting products.

They don’t live paycheck to paycheck, and I don’t feel like they grasp the issues with medical problems when you don’t have all the money you need to take care of it or all the time in the world to clean your machine every day.

Choose someone who actually has sleep apnea

Commercials, at least to me, make a connection when you have an average actor, preferably someone with the condition, promoting a product. I know they are still paid, but at least I feel like the company is trying to reach the average person and not use a celebrity to get our attention.

Playing into the stereotypes

Maybe, hopefully, you can remember a TV show or movie that accurately portrayed sleep apnea. I feel like any time I have seen it, or it’s talked about, it involves either someone old or overweight. I’m not sure why, but media seems to portray conditions in the most stereotypical way possible.

It is time for true representation in media

I guess if they have a younger guy who is of average weight, people won’t believe it? It’s like they need to make it to where people think that is how they picture it, so it’s more believable. I would love to see a younger person, or even a woman, wearing a CPAP in a movie when they go to sleep or discuss it in a scene.

Mostly, they just have the older, overweight guy snoring in the background and don’t even mention having him put on a CPAP to correct it. Maybe this simple little addition to a scene would trigger someone who knows a person who snores to get help.

If they see a CPAP being applied and the snoring is corrected, this could be a way to help others by accurately showing a potential fix to a problem many people have.

More awareness for a healthier world

Imagine a world where conditions were portrayed not by stereotype but by reality. I think it would make movies, TV, and our lives a bit easier. People would see that every type of person can get any type of disease or condition.

It would also help everyone be more aware of their bodies and the bodies of loved ones. We would be looking out for issues and the real reason they happen or the real symptoms to look for. I do believe this would help make a healthier world.