Local veteran actor Chen Tianwen, 61, was on Capital 958’s Celeb Talk segment this morning (Jan 20) during which he revealed he suffers from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where a person repeatedly has pauses in breathing while asleep, resulting in poor quality of rest.
Speaking to host DJ Lingzhi, the actor said he experiences brief lapses in his breathing, amounting to 59 times every hour when he sleeps. The normal range for such breathing interruptions for adults is five times an hour.
He was only made aware of his condition when his wife pointed out that he “snores very heavily and loudly” (one of the symptoms of sleep apnea), and suggested he visit the doctor.
Tianwen underwent a thorough check-up, and he recalled spending the night hooked up to several wires and monitored by two CCTVs during a polysomnography test.
When he received his diagnosis the next day, he was told his breathing paused for around 59 times per hour, and his condition was considered “quite serious”.
“But there are also people who have it worse, they stop breathing over 80 times in an hour,” he added.
He was given two treatment options: 1) Remove his Adam’s apple so his airways aren’t as obstructed, or 2) Sleep with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine which delivers gentle air pressure through a mask to keep his airways open.
He picked the second option as he was told his Adam’s apple would “grow back in two to three years”.
He said that his condition is well under control now, but jokingly adds the downside is that he now wakes up with mask imprints on his face in the morning.
Tianwen’s Chinese New Year movie Baby Hero opens in theatres on Jan 23. He will also appear on Mediacorp’s Chinese New Year countdown show on Jan 28.
You can also catch Tianwen in Sunny Side Up on mewatch, or watch an episode below.