Sleep Apnea, or Apnoea (British equivalent) is a disorder experienced by a sizeable amount of the population. It is recognised by the way the sufferer will often skip one or more breaths while they sleep. The average person with sleep apnea would take a breath no less than 10 seconds after their previous one, and this can be considerably longer, up to several minutes. A sleeper diagnosed with this would typically have 5 or more of these skipped breaths per hour of sleep and this can be very disrupting to their regular routine.
To be diagnosed with sleep apnea you may be able to be referred for a polysomnogram at a sleep clinic, where you will be monitored overnight. Often you may not realise you need to go to a doctor to ask about this condition, as it is not something a person becomes aware of on their own in many cases. It is usually a partner, or anyone who encounters you sleeping, that would notice the irregular breathing first.
The problem caused by the long gaps between breathing is that the lack of oxygen often draws you out of a deep sleep. Your body will become more responsive to allow you to be aware of the need to breathe in, and so you will be moved into a state of shallow sleep, which is not as restful.
The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, where the airway becomes blocked or collapses during sleep. When you do breathe again, the breath squeezes past the blockage and causes loud snoring. This is one of the main symptoms of the disorder. Others are throat dryness in the morning and irritability or constant tiredness.
Sleep Apnea, especially in the obstructive form, is most common amongst overweight people, but can affect others too. The good news is that there is treatment available. This could be as simple as lifestyle changes: avoiding alcohol before bed, as this can make it hard for your throat to stay open, sleeping on your side, or stopping smoking. There are also the options of mouth-pieces, breathing devices and surgery, in more serious cases, though.
Sleep Apnea can be a more serious problem than many consider it to be, as it can be very detrimental to everyday living quality. The lack of sleep, or poor quality of it, has a knock on effect and can make sufferers tired and irritable during the day, even putting their jobs at risk because they constantly feel like more sleep is needed and so may not perform as well. This can also affect the close family who live with someone with sleep apnea.
If a person feels they or a relative is suffering, then it is important to go and seek advice from a medical professional. If nothing else, sleep apnea can often be linked with high blood pressure and other symptoms that are best to get looked at. Doctors would give a physical exam, and then refer a patient for a polysomnogram if required, before offering advice and solutions.
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