Kristen Cascio, a Rising Voices speaker and clinical social worker living in Boston, MA, shared her sleep apnea story in SleepWorld Magazine’s new Patient Voices column, created in partnership with Project Sleep. Kristen was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea at age 31 after living with excessive daytime sleepiness, brain fog, and other unexplained symptoms for over 15 years.
“I never suspected that I could have a sleep disorder because I didn’t have the typical risk factors and I had never met anyone with a similar story,” Kristen writes in SleepWorld of her years seeking a proper diagnosis. “If I had, I would have advocated for a referral to a sleep doctor much earlier.”
Determined to figure out what was causing her symptoms, Kristen started keeping a detailed sleep diary in 2020. She finally received a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea after bringing her notes and lab work to a doctor who thought she might have chronic fatigue syndrome, but suggested a sleep study to rule out other issues.
Five years after being diagnosed with sleep apnea and starting CPAP treatment, Kristen reports, “CPAP is an essential tool that allows me to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. My hope is that by sharing my story, others struggling with unexplained symptoms will recognize themselves, seek diagnosis and treatment, and find a community of support and better quality of life.”
Kristen is an incredible advocate for sleep apnea awareness, who recently collaborated on Project Sleep’s Sleep Apnea: Let’s Face It! campaign, and shares her adventures traveling with a sleep disorder at @meandmycpap on Instagram.
Read Kristen Cascio’s SleepWorld Magazine story in the 2025 March/April issue.
Special thanks to Michael DiDomenico, President/Publisher, Colleen Donnelly, Editor-in-Chief, and all the staff at SleepWorld Magazine for their commitment to highlighting lived experiences and partnership in creating the Patient Voices column.
