If you often wake up tired despite a whole night’s sleep, snore loudly, or wake up gasping for air, you might be dealing with a sleep disorder. This sleep apnea overview will help you understand the condition, its causes, and how to identify it.
Sleep apnea is a common yet overlooked disorder affecting breathing during sleep. It can lead to poor rest and potential health risks.
Many people live with sleep apnea without realizing it, attributing their symptoms to stress, lifestyle, or aging. Recognizing the signs and understanding sleep apnea can be the first step toward reclaiming restful nights and better overall health.
Sleep Apnea Overview: Types & Effects
Sleep apnea is a silent condition affecting 26% of adults between 30 and 70. It’s also estimated that as many as 80% of apnea cases go undiagnosed. However, what exactly is it? How does it affect you and do you have it? We hope to provide answers to these questions in this article.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. It occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open. It can cause partial or complete blockage of airflow. This can lead to loud snoring, gasping, or choking as the body struggles to breathe normally.
Breathing interruptions can last from a few seconds to over a minute and may happen multiple times throughout the night.
Based on its causes, the way it manifests, and its symptoms, there are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA).
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea. This is where the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open during sleep. This leads to breathing pauses and can last several seconds or more. It causes the person to wake up gasping for air. Studies reveal that 10% of adult Americans have a mild form of the disorder. Meanwhile, 7.5% deal with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a genetic predisposition to the condition usually link to OSA.
- Central Sleep Apnea
CSA is a less common form of sleeping disorder that affects more men over 60 than others. Different from OSA, central sleep apnea is not caused by a blockage in the airway. It occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
CSA is often linked to conditions like heart failure, stroke, or neurological disorders. Symptoms include breathing pauses, difficulty breathing, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Five Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea
Several warning signs occur when you suffer from sleep apnea. Even though the most common symptoms of sleep apnea are loud and chronic snoring, not everyone who snores has apnea.
Let’s look at these other signs noticed among people with sleep apnea:
- Waking Up Gasping for Air: If you often wake up choking or gasping, it may indicate sleep apnea due to airflow obstruction.
- Daytime Drowsiness and Fatigue: Poor rest from sleep disorders can leave you feeling unusually sleepy during the day. This can affect your activities and cause you to fall asleep at odd times.
- Trouble Concentrating: Difficulty falling asleep and waking up frequently during the night can disrupt your sleep. It can lead to problems with concentration and memory during the day.
- Waking Up with a Dry Mouth: A dry mouth upon waking could be caused by sleep apnea. It can force you to breathe through your mouth.
- Waking Up With a Sore Throat or Hoarse Voice: Excessive snoring—often linked to sleep apnea—can cause extreme dryness in the throat muscles.
Most Common Causes of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can have several underlying causes and it is usually linked to unhealthy habits, age, genetics, or severe medical conditions. Depending on your type of apnea, here are some things that can cause breathing sleep disruptions.
Risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Enlarged Tonsils or Adenoids: Enlarged tonsils or adenoids can obstruct the airway and make breathing difficult during sleep.
- Aging and Fatty Tissue Accumulation: As you age, fatty tissue in your neck and tongue can accumulate and increase your risk of sleep apnea.
- Excess Weight: Excess weight can pressure the airway and make it more likely to block up during sleep.
- Lifestyle Habits: Lifestyle habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Smoking causes inflammation, which obstructs the airflow and leads to heart disease or heavy breathing. On the other hand, alcohol makes your throat relax, causing your upper airway to close.
Central sleep apnea has other causes at play. It is linked to brain and heart functions. CSA is linked to:
- Underlying Medical Conditions: Medical conditions such as heart failure, high blood pressure, strokes, or neurological disorders, disrupt the brain’s ability to control breathing.
- Certain Medications: Medications such as opioids or sedatives can suppress breathing and contribute to CSA.
Breathing Problems Can Affect Your Body and Mind
Not getting enough sleep can lead to several health problems. That’s why identifying sleep disorders early is important.
With sleep apnea, the first noticeable effect upon waking is a severe headache—often caused by low blood oxygen. Fragmented sleep can also result in daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and lower productivity. Over time, untreated sleep apnea can worsen existing health conditions.
Sleep is closely linked to mental health. Sleep disorders can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and memory loss. Sleep apnea can also cause spikes in blood pressure during sleep, potentially leading to hypertension. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, strokes, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.
Sleep apnea is often associated with Type 2 diabetes. This condition can lead to insulin resistance, poor glucose control, nerve damage, kidney disease, and vision problems.
Poor sleep can also disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and metabolism. It can become harder to maintain a healthy weight. Most concerning of all, individuals with moderate to severe sleep apnea face a much higher risk of mortality, stroke, and cancer.
Sleep Apnea and Health Risks. Individuals with moderate to severe sleep apnea showed a significantly higher risk of Mortality, Stroke, and Cancer over 20 years. Source: https://www.clearvuehealth.com/b/sleep-apnea-dangers/
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
Overall, sleep apnea can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health. It is important to seek treatment to reduce the risk of health problems and improve quality of life.
If you have a severe case, consult a qualified medical provider. Proven treatments are available based on the severity and type of sleep apnea. Medical treatments may include:
- Some patients may require surgery.
- Medication for the condition.
- A CPAP machine is commonly recommended for sleep apnea sufferers. It delivers a continuous stream of air to keep the airway open.
- Oral appliances and positional therapy devices can also be effective for mild to moderate cases. Find an experienced dentist to be fitted correctly.
Tips for Healthier Sleep
On the bright side, you can include a few habits in your sleeping routine to reduce the risk of sleep apnea or relieve its symptoms.
- Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Establish a consistent sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle and improves sleep quality.
- Develop a Healthy Bedtime Routine: Create a healthy bedtime routine. Avoiding caffeine and nicotine before bedtime. Limit screen time before bed and engage in relaxing activities before bed. These habits can all help improve sleep quality.
- Choose the Right Mattress: Additionally, the right mattress to support your healthy sleep, like a SAMINA healthy sleep system. A suitable mattress can help lessen pressure points for a comfortable sleeping position and reduce snoring.
- Try Inclined Sleeping: Consider inclined sleeping. An inclined bed has many benefits for your body. It reduces mouth breathing. This helps limit sleep apnea symptoms and promotes restorative breathing.
- Upgrade Your Pillow: Swap your old pillow—contaminated with bacteria from drool and filled with dust mites—for a new orthopedic pillow. It will provide the right support for your neck and head, helping you breathe better.
- Opt for Nontoxic Bedding: Be sure your bedding and mattress toppers are nontoxic and natural for the healthiest sleeping environment.
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