While the most popular sleep story at the 2024 Paris Olympics was definitely the uncomfortable cardboard beds, there was also important coverage on renowned Swedish handball star, Jim Gottfridsson speaking out about living with sleep apnea.
Photo Credit: JOHANNA SÄLL/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock
On July 31, 2024, The 2024 Paris Olympics website published the article, “Paris 2024 Olympics handball: Swedish handball star Jim Gottfridsson kept falling asleep and now he knows why” by Jo Gunston. On August 6, 2024, The New York Times covered the story in, “Meet the Olympic handballer who couldn’t stay awake: ‘I can sleep everywhere’” by Lukas Weese.
Like many people living with sleep disorders, Jim Gottfridsson went many years without receiving an official diagnosis. The New York Times article describes Gottfridsson’s daytime sleepiness starting as an adolescent.
“Whether it was waiting for a haircut or going to the doctor, Gottfridsson would close his eyes. When he started playing handball as a teenager, Gottfridsson was tired. Getting fatigued is common in the sport, but for Gottfridsson, it was constant.”
Similar to Josh Andrews, a retired NFL player living with narcolepsy, sleepiness had a scary impact on Gottfridsson’s driving. Both professional athletes have openly shared frightening incidents of drowsy driving before finding out they had actual sleep disorders. For Gottfridsson, the incident took place when he was 24 years old, driving on the highway with his wife and their first child. It would be another 7 years before Gottfridsson was officially diagnosed with sleep apnea this past year at age 31.
Like millions of others living with undiagnosed sleep apnea, Gottfridsson tried to cope with his constant sleepiness by staying active. The New York Times article quotes him as saying, “It’s like a small child. When they are tired, they are hyperactive.” Despite his best attempts to cope on his own, his symptoms continued, impacting his athletic career and his family life as a husband and father of two young kids.
Eventually, at the urging of his wife, Gottfridsson underwent a sleep study at a German hospital to finally figure out his mysterious sleepiness that had plagued him for years. The cause? Sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disordered breathing where people repeatedly stop breathing during sleep. It affects up to 25% of adults in the U.S. People with sleep apnea repeatedly have issues with their breathing during sleep, 5-15 times per hour in mild cases or up to hundreds of times per night in severe cases. The loss of airflow lowers the blood oxygen, triggering the brain to wake up. People with sleep apnea might not notice, or they might wake up gasping. Sleep apnea symptoms vary by person and can manifest in both the daytime and nighttime.
It’s important to know that feeling exhausted on a regular basis or falling asleep easily in relaxed settings could be a sign of a sleep disorder like narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, or sleep apnea. Also, hyperactivity as Gottfridsson described, could be a coping mechanism to mask underlying sleepiness. If you or a loved one have trouble staying awake during the day on a regular basis, it’s important to consult a board certified sleep specialist.
Not sure where to start? Here are some suggestions:
There are several treatment options for sleep apnea, and people may try multiple options or a combination to find one that works for them. The New York Times reported that once Gottfridsson received an accurate diagnosis, he was able to access treatment options and began using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.
While the Swedish mens handball team did not end up medaling at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Project Sleep definitely awards Jim Gottfridsson a gold medal for addressing his sleep issues and for speaking out about living with sleep apnea!
Project Sleep’s Sleep Apnea Squad educational series covers a wide variety of topics to help people living with sleep apnea and their loved ones navigate both the medical journey and the social experience.
Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program serves the dual purpose of fostering a new generation of patient-advocates spreading awareness of sleep disorders while empowering participants.
