Sleep Disorders, Sleep Remedies & Insomnia Relief
Sleep Apnea and Disruptive Sleep
Many people believe that sleep apnea is simply
another form of snoring. While it is true that sleep apnea
is akin to snoring—both can interfere with the quality and
amount of sleep—sleep apnea is a much more serious sleep disorder.
Snoring simply involves the sound a person makes while sleeping. Sleep
apnea refers to an actual obstruction of breath during sleep. An individual suffering from sleep apnea will stop breathing,
sometimes several times a night, and wake up in order to regain
breathing.
Individuals who suffer from sleep apnea will usually
experience frequent disruptions of sleep during the course of one night's
sleep. Most episodes of breathing pauses will last for approximately
ten seconds. These breathing pauses can occur up to thirty
or more times an hour. As you can imagine, sleep apnea can
cause an individual considerable sleep deprivation!
How
do you know if you are suffering from sleep apnea? Surprisingly,
many people do not know they suffer from sleep apnea. Many
times, sleeping partners who observe the individual's stop-and-start
breathing patterns alert them of their sleep apnea. Sometimes,
it is the accumulated sleep deficit that alerts an individual
that something is disrupting their sleep. If you find yourself
suffering from excessiveness daytime sleepiness, or if you
wake each morning with a strong headache, you should consult
with your doctor.
Sleep apnea can occur in all types of individuals, although
it appears to occur more often in men. Factors which may raise
your chances of suffering from sleep apnea can include, weight,
blood pressure, and nose and throat infections or obstructions.
Individuals who are overweight or suffer from high blood pressure
are more vulnerable to suffer from sleep apnea. Other factors
that may contribute to the onset of sleep apnea include excessive
alcohol consumption and the use of sleeping pills.
Children
are also vulnerable to sleep apnea. Children who
snore excessively or experience restless sleep may be suffering
from sleep apnea. Many times, enlarged tonsils or adenoids
cause a child's sleep apnea.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, the first
thing you should do is find out what type of sleep apnea you are
suffering from.
There are two distinct types of sleep apnea. The most common
form of sleep apnea is known as obstructive sleep apnea. This
refers to the type of sleep apnea in which the tongue and the
throat muscles relax during the course of sleep. When the tongue
and throat relax, they block part of the mouth's airway, causing "choking" noise
that can result from lack of airflow that usually rouses the
individual from sleep. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids may also
cause obstructive sleep apnea in an individual.
The second, much less common form of sleep apnea is known
as central sleep apnea. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, which
originates in the mouth and throat, central sleep apnea is
caused when the brain fails to send the frequent signals to
the mouth that control regular breathing. Your doctor may need
to conduct a sleep observation to determine which type of sleep
apnea, if any, you suffer from.
If it is concluded that you suffer from sleep apnea, most
treatments begin with initiating lifestyle changes. People
with sleep apnea are encouraged to follow a weight loss program,
eat a healthy diet, reduce their alcohol intake, and cease
taking sleeping pills. If you tend to sleep on your back, your
doctor may advise you to change sleeping positions to encourage
normal nighttime breathing. Special position-changing tools
may be recommended to help you change your sleeping position.
If changing lifestyle factors or sleeping positions does not
work, a special continuous positive airway pressure (known
as CPAP) may be used. A CPAP device is a mask that the individual
wears over her or his face at night. The CPAP forces air into
the individual's airway. Other options include surgery to remove
tissue blockage, or enlarge tonsils or adenoids. If an individual's
sleep apnea does not respond to conventional treatment, a special
surgery known as tracheotomy may be performed. In a tracheotomy,
a small hole is cut into the windpipe. The hole is left closed
until night, where it can be opened to allow air to enter the
individual's airway without obstruction.
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