He is Sleepy Joe after all: Biden reveals why he wears mask to bed
US President Joe Biden has begun using a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, to address a long-standing problem with sleep apnea, White House officials say.
“Since 2008, the president has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said.
Another White House official said Biden had begun using the CPAP machine in recent weeks to improve his sleep quality.
Biden was seen by reporters on Wednesday with marks on his face indicating he had been wearing some type of wide strap.
Many CPAP users wear a mask held on by a strap.
Bloomberg News first reported Biden’s use of the machine.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterised by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.
Untreated, it can cause forgetfulness, fatigue and sleepiness, and can ultimately lead to cardiovascular disease because of the significant strain it can put on the heart, studies have shown.
Biden, 80, is the oldest person to serve as US president, and both his age and health have been a focus of voters as he seeks a second, four-year term in the 2024 election.
Age is one of several factors that increase the risk of developing sleep apnea.
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Public opinion polling shows that a majority of people in the US have concerns about Biden’s age.
In February, his doctor declared him healthy and “fit for duty” after a physical examination.
The doctor’s report on Biden’s physical did not mention sleep apnea but said Biden has dealt with “sinus congestion for most of his life” and that “sinus symptoms have improved after several sinus and nasal passage surgeries”.
In 2008, Politico mentioned Biden’s “re-occurring problem of sleep apnea” in a report on 49 pages of medical history released when he was Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
