Sleep apnea, fairly common among adults, is a disorder in which the soft tissue located in the back of the throat narrows and repeatedly closes during the time you are asleep, obstructing the breathing passages. This obstruction results in a reduction in or a total cessation of breathing during sleep.
The well-wired human brain responds to the interruption in breathing by causing you to wake up in order to resume breathing. These periods of interruption in breathing lasting at least 10 seconds or more are known as apnea.
Because apnea episodes can occur several hundred times each night, sleep becomes interrupted and completely ineffective leaving you feeling tired and irritable the following morning. You may not even realize that you have been awakened during the night, yet you wake in the morning feeling like you have been run over by a Mac truck!
There are two different types of sleep apnea, the most common of the two is known as obstructive sleep apnea, while the other is known as central sleep apnea. A diagnosis of sleep apnea is based on a person's medical history and the results of medical exams that can be used to confirm the diagnosis. Sleep apnea may be treated with either surgical or non-surgical methods.
Apnea interrupts sleep because when apnea occurs your brain causes you to either wake into a more shallow level of sleep or it causes you to wake completely, both of which will cause you starting to breathe again.
Enduring many nights of interrupted sleep because of apnea can lead to other physical issues, as well, such as complete and total exhaustion, excessive irritability and frustration with daily life.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that requires intervention from your healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and an appropriate and individualized treatment plan. Don't settle for interrupted sleep; put sleep apnea to rest today.
For more important information on getting a good night's sleep be sure to visit www.sleep-good.com where you will find advice and tips on sleep apnea insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, and more.
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