[Socioeconomic aspects of sleep-related breathing disorders].

Sleep related breathing disorders (especially sleep apnea syndrome--SAS) limit the patient through deteriorated nocturnal sleep, insufficient wakefulness, daytime inefficiency and tiredness including a cognitive impairment, through higher rate of road accidents, higher co morbidity, through impaired quality of life and higher mortality. The society pays for the SAS patient higher medical costs and other expenses related to the accidents, co morbidity and lower professional productivity.