What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea may stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times in one night.
There are two main types of sleep apnea:
sleep_apnia_test_1296x728-header-1296×728

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):

The most common type, caused by repetitive episodes of complete or partial blockage of the upper airway during sleep. During an episode, the diaphragm and chest muscles work harder to open the airway, often resulting in a loud gasp or body jerk. These episodes can interfere with sleep, reduce oxygen to vital organs, and cause heart rhythm problems

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA):

Occurs when the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. This is related to dysfunction in the central nervous system.

What causes sleep apnea?

OSA: Blockage of the airway, usually due to soft tissues in the rear of the throat collapsing during sleep.

CSA: Often linked to central nervous system problems (e.g., stroke, ALS, neuromuscular disease) or heart/pulmonary failure.
sleep_apnia_test_1296x728-header-1296×728

What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Often the first signs of sleep apnea are noticed by a bed partner rather than the patient.

Common symptoms include:

  • Loud snoring.
  • Daytime sleepiness or fatigue.
  • Restlessness during sleep.
  • Sudden awakenings with gasping or choking.
  • Dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening.
  • Trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, or irritability.
  • Night sweats.
  • Sexual dysfunction.
  • Headaches

What are the Effects of Sleep Apnea?

If untreated, sleep apnea may cause serious health issues such as:
  • Hypertension
  • Stroke
  • Arrhythmias
  • Cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart muscle)
  • Heart failure
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attacks

It can also lead to impaired job performance, accidents, motor vehicle crashes, and poor academic performance.

Children may show different symptoms, such as:

  • Poor school performance
  • Daytime sleepiness, often mistaken for laziness
  • Mouth breathing or swallowing problems
  • Abnormal sleeping positions (knees/chest, neck hyper-extended)
  • Bedwetting
  • Excessive sweating at night
  • Learning/behavioral problems

Children may show different symptoms, such as:

Sleep apnea is usually diagnosed with an overnight sleep study (polysomnogram) performed in a sleep laboratory.
During the test, technicians monitor:
  • Brain activity
  • Eye movements
  • Muscle activity
  • Heart rate
  • Breathing patterns
  • Airflow
  • Blood oxygen levels

Results show how many times breathing is impaired, and severity is graded. In some cases, a multiple sleep latency test is performed the next day to measure how quickly a patient falls asleep during the day.

Who gets sleep apnea?

  • About 25% of men and 10% of women
  • Can affect all ages, including children
  • More common in people over 40 and those who are overweight

Risk factors include:

  • Excess weight
  • Large neck circumference
  • Structural issues narrowing the airway (nasal obstruction, low-hanging soft palate, enlarged tonsils, small jaw with overbite)
Insomnia-and-Women

What are the treatment options for Sleep Apnea?