What is Sleep Apnea?

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Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by complete or partial cessations of breathing during sleep. The interruptions in breathing, called apneas, can cause a host of other dangerous medical conditions.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are three types of sleep apnea: central, obstructive, and mixed.

In central sleep apnea (CSA), the brain fails to instruct the body to breathe. The person can breathe, but doesn’t.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is far more common than central sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, either completely or partially preventing air from reaching the lungs. During an obstructive sleep apnea event, the person cannot breathe even though they try to.
Mixed sleep apnea is a condition where a person experiences both central and obstructive apnea.

Pauses in Breathing

The gaps in breathing occur between 5 and 100 times per hour depending on the severity of the condition and typically last between 20 and 40 seconds. In some cases, breathing can even stop for several minutes at a time. During each lapse in breathing, oxygen levels in the blood drop.

When the brain registers the lack of oxygen in the body, it jolts the body to wake up. This reopens the airway but also interrupts sleep. A gasp or choking sound can often be heard as breathing resumes. The person will typically fall back asleep with no memory of being woken up which makes sleep apnea hard to recognize. The condition is typically identified by spouses or family members who notice heavy snoring and pauses in breathing.

Poor Sleep and Heart Problems

As a result of repeatedly being woken up throughout the night, the person fails to sustain deep sleep and may feel tired throughout the day. Over time, the heart also weakens because it endures stress every time the body is jolted awake. The combination of poor sleep and cardiovascular stress predisposes OSA patients to a litany of diseases including obesity, hypertension, stroke, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbance, anxiety, and depression. Obstructive sleep apnea can be fully treated.