Follow-Up: Hello Debbie. It is not unusual for a person to have two sleep disorders at the same time. PLMS and sleep apnea is a good example. Narcolepsy and sleep apnea is another. However, I do not have any statistics on the frequency with which sleep disorders co-exist. In conversations I have had with sleep professionals it is reported with some frequency. It is unfortunate that we don't know for sure. There are probably many people out there who are frustrated and sleepy because they have been told that one therapy would work for them and they actually need a combination of treatments. With that being said... You may be one of those people who needs a combination of therapies. It sounds like you have the cardinal symptoms of sleep apnea such as; falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day, loud snoring and gasping for breath at night. PLMS is frequently seen with sleep apnea. It is also possible for sleep apnea to cause PLMS. As the body relaxes during sleep the muscles in the airway loose their tone and collapse over the airway. After several seconds, the brain is aroused from it's sleeping state to deal with this airway obstruction (which results in sleep fragmentation). If the obstruction is not perceived by the brain as too severe, it sends the message to your airway muscles which causes them to regain their tone. This happens many times with sleep apnea and the individual is not aware of it because the brain does not achieve wakefulness and consciousness for the event. Therefore, there is no memory for it in the morning in many instances. If the obstruction is more severe, the brain may send out a rush of signals to deal with the airway obstruction. Not only do the muscles of the airway suddenly regain their tone, but the leg and arm muscles may suddenly regain their tone also. This sudden signal jolt causes the limbs to move. So, sometimes by treating the sleep apnea symptoms of PLMS will decrease. Other times independent treatment for both disorders is required. Typically, when someone has a test to determine whether a sleep disorder exists they monitor brain waves, muscle tone, eye movement, heart rate, oxygen levels, respiratory flow and effort, and leg movements. This type of test is called a polysomnogram and it is done overnight in a sleep laboratory or it can be done at your home. Werever the test is conducted, you should make sure that they record your leg movements. If you do, in fact, have sleep apnea and the occlusion problem is treated properly the PLMS may resolve also. If it doesn't, there are medications that you can take before bedtime to reduce the limb movements to the point where you can get a good night's sleep. I hope this answers some of your questions. Good luck with your interview at the sleep clinic. I'm glad that you are taking the initiative to get these problems taken care of. Not only for your sake, but also, for the sake of your family. You should begin to feel better soon. apnea that