How Often Do You Stop Breathing Every Night?

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea means you stop breathing while you sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea; Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed when loud snoring is interrupted by episodes of completely obstructed breathing. During an obstructive apnea, the airway in the back of the throat collapses and prevents oxygen from entering the lungs and reaching your bloodstream. This condition can be serious and sometimes fatal if these episodes last over ten seconds and occur more than 10 times an hour. The cumulative effect of these obstructed breathing episodes is reduced blood oxygen levels to the brain, forcing the snorer to stay in a lighter sleep stage so that the breathing passage muscles are kept tighter. This prevents the snorer from obtaining the rest benefits achieved only during sleep, and can lead to a tendency to fall asleep during daytime hours - on the job, or worse, at the wheel of a Motor Vehicle.

What is Central Sleep Apnea?

A more rare form of apnea, Central Sleep Apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal the lungs to breathe.

What are the consequences of Sleep Apnea?

The National Council on Sleep Disorders attributes 38,000 cardiovascular deaths a year to consequences of sleep apnea. The decreased levels of oxygen in the blood during sleep can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, fluid retention and abnormal heartbeats.

The daytime sleepiness and fatigue caused by sleep apnea can have severe consequences - from job impairment due to inattentiveness and sleepiness to loss of life or causing the loss of another's life from falling asleep at the wheel of a motor vehicle.

What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

There are many symptoms of sleep apnea. Here is a listing of some of the symptoms:

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Last modified: October 17, 2007