Sleep Apnea: Information, Symptoms and Causes

Sleep Apnea (also called Sleep Apnoea) is a common sleep disorder that is characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep, which force the sufferer to wake up to resume normal breathing, and disrupt and disturb their normal sleep cycle. These episodes, called apneas, usually last from a few seconds up to as long as sixty seconds in severe cases, and may occur repeatedly throughout the night. People with Sleep Apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but, because of the stage of sleep they were in when they were woken, they may not remember any disturbances to their sleep in the morning. Most sufferers are only aware of these events because they are informed by their sleep partner in the morning.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): is the most common type of sleep apnea, and is caused by the temporary relaxation and partial collapse of soft tissue in the respiratory tract at the back of the throat, and this causes a blockage to the passage of air into the lungs.

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): is caused by irregularities in the brain's signals that instruct our bodies to breathe.

Mixed Apnea: occurs when a person suffers from both Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA).

Sufferers usually resume breathing within a few seconds of each episode, but periods as long as sixty seconds are may occur in severe cases.

Symptoms

The main symptom of Sleep Apnea is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS).

Additional symptoms may include:

Anxiety

Depression

Forgetfulness

Increased heart rate

Irritability

Loud snoring with periods of silence followed by gasping for breath

Mood and behavior changes

Morning headaches

Restless sleep - causing the sufferer to feel un-refreshed the next day

Trouble concentrating

Weight gain

Few if any of these symptoms may be present, however, and many people who suffer from even severe sleep apnea have no complaints about sleepiness or fatigue.

Random Sleeping Tip

Another very irritating factor that causes the disturbance of sleep throughout the night is the presence of a clock that just rings to indicate every hour that is passing. It is really important that you get that clock out of your room so that you can have a good night sleep. There are also clocks that have an illuminated dial and by seeing the time if you get up at night can make you think that you have less time left to sleep and that can make you really anxious, so it is best to place them at a place where you are not able to see that clock

Causes

Almost everybody who has sleep apnea is a snorer, often a very heavy snorer.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more likely to occur in men than in women, and is also more likely to occur in people who are overweight or obese, snore, consume alcohol, and/or have anatomical abnormalities of the jaw or soft palate.

However, atypical cases do occur in people who do not fit this profile.

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