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Understanding sleep apnea will have you feeling empowered and ready to take the next steps in restoring your quality sleep.
Treating your sleep apnea will see you enjoying the benefits and help get you back to being your bright, more energised self.
The whole idea of having sleep apnea may be a bit daunting, but look on the bright side: when you know what’s been affecting your health and enjoyment of life —you can do something about it!
What stage are you at?
- Are you having trouble sleeping at night and think that it's time to find out why?
- Have you had a home sleep study and been diagnosed with sleep apnea?
- Or, have you actually begun sleep apnea treatment?
No matter what stage you're at, knowledge is power. The more you know about sleep apnea and its treatment, the more comfortable you’ll feel about it all.
Getting used to the idea of treatment can take a little while. You need to be patient with the process and do your research, but it can be quite time consuming and overwhelming.
To help we’ve put all the information in one article, so you can read through all the basics and get started on your journey to a better night's sleep.
What is sleep apnea?1
Let's start with the definition. Sleep apnea (sometimes spelled sleep apnoea) is a sleep disorder where your natural breathing pattern is briefly paused or interrupted entirely during sleep.
There are a few different types, but the most common is known as ‘obstructive sleep apnea’. This occurs when the muscles in your throat controlling your upper airway relax too much while you’re asleep. If this happens, your upper airway becomes constricted and you may begin to take shallow breaths or snore. If the airway constricts even further, it may become completely obstructed. You temporarily stop breathing and your blood oxygen level dips.
Sensing this, your brain will force you to cough, choke or snort to clear the airway passage and resume normal breathing again, disrupting your sleep. Typically, you won't fully wake or even remember it the following morning.
This wouldn't be so much of an issue if it only occurred occasionally, however, people with sleep apnea can experience this several hundred times a night! This continual disruption to your sleep patterns, combined with the repeated restriction of oxygen can result in poor quality sleep every night. This can take its toll on your body and can put you at risk of health complications if left untreated.
What can cause sleep apnea?
The following factors are generally considered to contribute to sleep apnea:
- Throat muscle weakness
- The shape of your head and neck
- Swollen tissue such as adenoids or tonsils
- Sleeping medications
- Older age
- Nasal obstruction or congestion
- Drinking alcohol or smoking
- Sleeping on your back
- Pregnancy
- Excessive fat in or your throat due to obesity*
- Narrow upper airways
- A genetic predisposition
However, keep in mind that everyone's circumstances are different.
What are the typical symptoms?
You may not remember waking throughout the night due to restricted breathing. So the first inkling that you may have a problem is when your partner or friends overhear you snoring or choking while you sleep. Or you could experience a combination of the following symptoms:
- daily fatigue
- poor concentration
- low energy
- morning headaches
- excessive sleepiness
- poor memory
- waking up unrefreshed
- moodiness
Symptoms like these are frustrating enough when they occur every once in a while, but when they’re happening regularly, it’s a sign that you may have sleep apnea. A home sleep study can help you find out.
How does sleep apnea affect your health?
Sleep plays an important role in maintaining both your physical and mental health.
The frequent disturbances in your breathing during the night caused by sleep apnea may prevent you from getting a healthy amount of sleep. This can affect your quality of life, your work and eventually, your relationships.
But besides these more general effects, there are more serious health concerns related to sleep apnea too. The lack of oxygen and the strain it puts on your body over the long term can take its toll. Some of the risks linked to sleep apnea are high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, and even increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.
Fortunately, treatment can help manage the symptoms that affect your daily life, as well as reduce the risk of the more serious issues.
What to do if you think you have sleep apnea
If you think you might have sleep apnea, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis. You can do a simple free sleep assessment to see if you’re at risk. To diagnose sleep apnea a home sleep test is generally needed.
How is sleep apnea treated?