Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder where the affected person's breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. There are three main types of sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form, occurs when throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. And Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Signs and symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include: Loud snoring, episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep, gasping for air during sleep, awakening with a dry mouth, morning headache, difficulty staying asleep (insomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia), difficulty paying attention while awake, and irritability.

Causes

Sleep apnea can be caused by a number of factors. These include being overweight, having a neck circumference greater than 16 inches, having a narrow airway, being male, being older, family history, use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers, smoking, and nasal congestion.

Diagnosis

Sleep apnea is usually diagnosed with a sleep study (polysomnography), which may require an overnight stay at a sleep center. The sleep study monitors a variety of functions during sleep including sleep state, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, respiratory effort, airflow, and blood oxygen levels.

Treatment

Treatment for sleep apnea can include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. If these measures don't improve the signs and symptoms or if apnea is severe, a number of other treatments are available. Certain devices can help open up a blocked airway. In other cases, surgery may be necessary.

See also

• Snoring
• Insomnia
• Hypersomnia
• Polysomnography

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