Sleep Apnea In F-16 Pilots Is Due To High G Forces  

It has been found that the main reason that sleep apnea is seen in F-16 pilots is the extremes of G-forces that pound their bodies whenever they are up in the air, and as any pilot would tell you, having six or even seven G force pounding your body is not something to shake your head at.  F16 is a rough machine and it puts a lot of stress on the pilot’s body, and it has often been reported by F16 pilots that these G forces suffer from back problems in addition to sleep apnea. 

Not Every Pilot Suffers From Sleep Apnea 

Sleep apnea in F-16 pilots is not universal.  Some will report the condition while others may not notice this condition at all, and often the cause behind this disorder is having a blockage in the throat which can prevent the F16 pilot from getting adequate and proper sleep at night, leading to cases of sleep apnea in F-16 pilots. The only possible solution for such types of problems will be to operate on the pilots in order to allow them to breathe normally again. 

Unfortunately, even surgery may not do the trick and the problem may persist or show up again after a period of being able to breathe better. Furthermore, the trouble with undergoing an operation to treat sleep apnea in F-16 pilots is that it can cut short the career of the pilot and lead him to seek an alternative employment that won’t put him at so much risk. To make it clear how serious the effects of those high G forces are on the body, most pilots report that the hurt caused to their backs is so severe that it leads them to want to give up flying altogether, because sleep apnea in F-16 pilots is serious enough to jeopardize some valuable real estate and also their life and the lives of others. 

These pilots often suffer from many issues in connection with the sleep apnea.  For instance, he may find other problems developing such as numbing of the legs and even worse, paralysis of the feet. At this point of time, it becomes necessary for the F16 pilot to need to undergo an operation which may then provide temporary relief, because the back pain may still continue and even spread to the shoulder blades and also the neck, thereby causing worsening of the sleep apnea in F-16 pilots.  As you can see, sleep apnea is just one of the many issues that plague the men who fly these important but taxing aircraft.