Hi
I've been diagnosed with Central Sleep Apnea (I almost freaked out when I saw that I was not breathing that much, thaat often!). I have been self employed most of my life, but my wife has a great day job.

Now that I am unable to work, because I'm so tired all the time, we have dicussed getting me some kind of disability, but don't know a few things:

1) Where to start... what is involved in getting something like this?

2) What kind of financial support can we expect?

3) Can I ever expect to get a good night's sleep again? I can't remember the last time...

Thanks for your suggestions...

George

Are you speaking of Social Security Disability, or a private policy?  If you are in the United States, and speaking of Social Secuirty Disability, your first step, would be to check with the social security administration to see if you have paid into the system enough quarters to even be eligibile, based on your comments you have been self-employed, have you paid into the system?
  If you are eligible for benefits, then "qualifying" for them, involves showing evidence that your health condition negatively effects your ability to perform the type of duties you have been doing to earn your living, and/or meet your own daily living needs.  
  Has your doctor ordered you to stop working?  If so, have you been unable to earn income for at least six months, and is your condition expected to continue indefinately?  Could you train for another type of work (as an example, perhaps a truck driver has lost his license to drive, but he could be employed in dispatching)
  My first reaction is that apnea alone is not sufficient to qualify for disability income, however, each case is individual, and how it effects your personal ability to work is the determining factor.
  The Social Security Administration has an informative website.

     http://www.ssa.gov/disability/