SolveYourProblem Article Series: Sleep Disorders
Please Help Me Sleep Better At Night!

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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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

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