Sen. Cleland Says He Has Sleep Disorder

ATLANTA — Sen. Max Cleland, who has been seen nodding off during committee hearings and news conferences, said he is suffering from a sleep disorder.

Cleland, a Democrat, has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition that interrupts proper breathing during sleep, causing him to sleep poorly at night and become fatigued during the day, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It’s basically sleep deprivation,” said Dr. John DelGaudio, an ear, nose and throat specialist at the Emory Clinic in Atlanta. “People who are sleep-deprived will fall asleep at the drop of a hat.”