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What Is Sleep Apnea, Anyway?

Waking Up To Sleep Apnea Disorder and Its Affects

"Before my sleep over I had no idea there was such a thing as sleep apnea," admitted Derek Bates a 55 year old cable TV installer. "I mean so I snored a little? Doesn't everyone?"

But a night spent at the sleep lab with electrodes glued on proved there was more going on than just a little snoring, as Derek put it.

"I guess the sleep apnea tests showed my breathing stopped about 35 times an hour. They told me that put me in the severe sleep apnea category. Who knew, right? That and the fact I have high blood pressure made me a candidate for a CPAP machine. "

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to temporarily stop breathing repeatedly as you sleep. Each brief stoppage of breathing, also known as "apneas", can last from 10 to 30 seconds (in some cases).

As you'd expect, serious health issues can result if this condition is left untreated. Such as a greater risk of heart attack or stroke. And because the condition leaves you so sleepy you have a greater chance of being in an auto accident.

Sufferers report such symptoms as being more forgetful, more irritable, feeling a general lack of energy as well as the daytime sleepiness. Due in large part to the loss of sleep.

Also, it is generally more commonly a problem for men than women.

"You see, when we sleep, the muscles that keep the airway in your open I guess relax and go slack. But if they go too slack the airway closes. The BAM you stop breathing until your brain sends a jolt of adrenaline to the rescue - or something like that," Bates explained as his attempt at definition of the problem.

And he's right. Yet the thing is this stoppage of breathing can happen many times an hour and will prevent you from getting a good nights sleep.

How so?

Well, you see as the oxygen level in your blood drops, the brain is alerted. It wakes you up enough to catch a breath and back to sleep you go. This cycle can play out dozens of times an hour. Yet the sleeper often is not aware of waking up at all. They just feel out of it during the day. Groggy sometimes. Able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Sitting in a chair talking one minute and out like a light the next.

"I wasn't getting the rest I needed at night," Derek agreed. "It was almost like I wasn't sleeping at all sorta."

Did You Know? While snoring is certainly a symptom of sleep apnea people with sleep apnea disorder are not necessarily snorers. Then too snoring is a symptom, not the cause.

"For me the treatment of choice was what's called a CPAP machine. It's pretty much the most common of sleep apnea solutions." An appliance like this is often the first thing used to cure the problem. Others may resort to surgery however.

Any information on this sleep disorder will mention obstructive sleep apnea as the most commonly seen version. With central apnea being a rarer but more serious variety. In that case your brain forgets to trigger the muscles that control breathing to work. Pretty scary, huh?

Excess weight is often factor.

Derek added, "Life with a sleep apnea diagnosis hasn't been that bad. I've slept with my CPAP machine for going on a month now. It has been a big help too. Although strapping that mask on my face every night takes some getting used to let me tell you. Makes me feel like an elephant. But it kinda works like a vacuum cleaner in reverse. In that it delivers air into my nose to keep my airway open so I'm getting enough oxygen. No more waking up to catch a breath for me anymore. Which is a good thing."

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