Sleep apnea is a frequent and serious sleep disorder that can cause you to pause breathing during your slumber. The most usual type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which your airway gets blocked often while you are asleep, restricting the amount of air going into your lungs. This usually results in clearly audible snoring or choking noises. Without sufficient oxygen, both your body and mind suffer, which may cause you to wake up from time to time or even multiple times per night under more severe circumstances.
An apnea occurs when the muscles in the upper airway relax during sleep, often leading to the tissue in the back of throat collapsing. If one sleeps on their back, gravity causes the tongue to move backwards, narrowing the airway and reducing the amount of oxygen that can reach your lungs. This in turn causes snoring due to the vibration of this tissue.
If you wake up feeling exhausted and not revitalized, despite having a full night of rest, it could be due to sleep apnea. You may experience lethargy throughout the day, difficulty concentrating or even involuntarily dozing off. This is because your body is being disturbed when you're sleeping multiple times, though you may not realise it.
The lack of oxygen your body receives can have a negative impact on your health. This includes:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Pre-diabetes and diabetes
- Depression
Many individuals with sleep apnea go undiagnosed, leaving them untreated. To assess this condition, a sleep study in either a laboratory or one’s own surroundings is conducted by an experienced medical provider.