An estimated 3 to 5 percent of Americans are affected by sleep apnea. It's characterized by cessation of breathing during the night or by shallow breathing. This can happen more than 30 times in an hour.

People with sleep apnea are often sleepy during the day because of their low quality sleep at night. It is most common in men, especially those who are overweight. When it goes undetected, it can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke.

Mild cases can be treated with a variety of devices that attach to the teeth and re-position the jaw to force the back of the throat to stay open. But the most effective treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a sleep mask known as the c-pap. The problem is the mask is often cumbersome.

Now neuroscientist David Carley of the University of Illinois, Chicago is trying a new drug treatment, Mirtazapine, a drug that affects serotonin levels in the brain. Patients take the pill nightly one half hour before bedtime. Results show the patients nighttime breathing problems were cut in half.

For more information on this study, contact Sharon Butler, University of Illinois at Chicago: 312 355-2522 or email sbutler@uic.edu