BOSTON -- Snoring used to be evidence that you were getting a good night's sleep, but not anymore.

Sleep specialists said snoring is often the first sign that you might have sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea, serious medical conditions that one member of the Red Sox knows about firsthand.

Doctor Describes Sleep Apnea
Snoring Could Be Sign Of Sleep Problem

Red Sox pitcher Craig Hansen was in bed for an average of eight hours a night, but sleep tests revealed that "basically, I got about two hours of sleep, total."

Hansen realized he had a serious problem when he found himself explaining to his bosses why he repeatedly fell asleep during team meetings. Eventually, he was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.

"I would all of a sudden sit up, wake up, start snoring, I'd move, like, 56 times in one hour. I'd be doing all that stuff and I basically had no clue until I woke up the next morning and basically still felt tired," Hansen said.

Eighteen million Americans have sleep apnea, but many are not aware. Hansen opted to have surgery during the off-season, during which doctors removed his tonsils and repaired a deviated septum.

"Most people don't need surgery; some people opt for surgery," said Dr. Douglas Kirsch, a neurologist and sleep specialist at the Sleep Health Centers.

"Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, is probably the most common treatment for sleep apnea,” Kirsch said. “It’s a small box, hooked to a tube and a mask. Pressure from this box keeps the airway open at night and by keeping the airway open, sleep apnea should no longer be a problem."

Kirsch said most of his patients sleep better after a brief period during which they get used to wearing the CPAP mask all night.

For people with mild or moderate sleep apnea, there is another non-surgical option, a custom-made mouthpiece.

"You have a top piece and a bottom piece and the two pieces, what they do is pull your bottom jaw forward. By pulling it forward it gets your airway open a little bit more," Kirsch said.

Sleep apnea is associated with strokes, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Hansen, for one, is just happy to be well-rested once again.

"It feels good to wake up and, you know, feel replenished," he said.