Sleep Problems – What Is Sleep Apnea?

When you ask the question, “what is sleep apnea”, you should know that you’re really trying to look beneath the snoring problem and discover what the condition really is. You should know that this condition affects many people in the U.S alone and it is when a person stops or pauses in their breathing while they are sleeping. These pauses usually only last for 20 to 30 seconds, but they can cause the person who has sleep apnea to lose sleep or suffer from reduced oxygen to the brain. Often, a person with this condition will choke, or snort as part of the pauses in breathing.

Now that you know what sleep apnea is, you should also know that that many people who are diagnosed with this condition are overweight males, but women and children can also suffer with this condition. However, the idea that if you are not overweight or are a woman meaning that you won’t have this condition can leave you suffering unnecessarily. It is thought that the muscles in the throat and soft palette are the cause of this condition and that they relax to the point that they put pressure on the airway, which can cause breathing problems.

There is more than one type of sleep apnea, with the common obstructive sleep apnea involving the blocked airway. This usually is the result of being over weight, sleeping on your back or consuming alcohol before going to bed. Often, this form of sleep apnea can be caused from facial deformities or bone and structure problems.

The reason a person with sleep apnea suffers with sleep disturbances is because the brain keeps telling them to wake up when they stop breathing, which means, they are really only getting a little bit of sleep. For people who suffer with this type of sleep apnea, lifestyle changes may be an effective treatment, including sleeping on the side to prevent pressure on the airway. Also, if you are overweight, you might find that by dropping a few pounds you feel better overall and can prevent the muscles in the soft palette from over relaxing. There may also be exercises which you can do to keep the muscles in the throat, tongue and soft palette strong.

Central sleep apnea is caused by the brain and is less common. With this type of sleep apnea, the brain doesn’t send the signal to breathe on time and the oxygen levels can drop. This type of sleep apnea can result in brainstem injuries and should be treated by a health care professional.

Once sleep apnea is diagnosed, a sleep specialist can tell you want kind of sleep apnea you might have and will also recommend treatment options for you to consider.