FOR 17 years Philip Skeates' wife put up with his snoring.

But when Lisa finally said she had had enough two years ago and forced him to go to the doctor, it turned out she was not the only one losing sleep.

After carrying out a series of tests the sleep clinic at the Great Western Hospital discovered Philip, 39, of Moredon, had a medical condition that meant he stopped breathing during the night.

Specialists said he had one of the worst cases of sleep apnoea they had ever seen as he stops breathing 90 times an hour.

"I didn't have a clue I had it," said Philip.

"My wife had been moaning about my snoring and something had to be done about it because it was getting between us.

"Lisa told the GP that when I was asleep, as well as the snoring I would go very quiet.

"It turned out I stopped breathing 90 times an hour.

"I was always so tired. Every night I would be sitting watching TV with my wife and kids and fall asleep by 8.30pm.

"I would sleep from eight to eight but was shattered.

"I thought I was sleeping all night, but because I was stopping breathing so many times I was really only getting 14 minutes' sleep.

"The problem with sleep apnoea is it can be really dangerous. If you are driving or handling machinery and you are never getting a proper night's sleep it could be fatal."

For Philip his diagnosis has made the world of difference to his life.

He has been given a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine to wear during the night.

The machine forces air into his lungs keeping him breathing and it has even stopped the snoring.

"The very first night I had it I noticed a difference the next morning," he said.

"Now I wake up in the morning feeling so much more refreshed.

"When you are diagnosed with sleep apnoea you have to tell the DVLA. But now I've been on the CPAP long enough that I can drive again.

"The mask goes over your mouth and nose and air blows down into your mouth.

"The machine is pretty small and just sits on the bedside table and I can take it away on holiday with me too.

"But it has totally changed my life.

"I have lost six stone in the last eight months. Before I was feeling so bad all the time I couldn't even think about losing weight.

"My snoring would get on the kids' nerves. I was so loud they could hear it through the walls.

"I just think there are probably other people out there who are not aware they have got it.

"About 300,000 people in the UK have sleep apnoea and obviously there are a lot of people out there with snoring trouble who don't realise they are suffering with this."