What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition that makes you stop breathing while you’re sleeping. This happens either because of blockage of your airway (obstructive sleep apnea) or because your brain doesn’t control your breathing as expected (central sleep apnea).
A lack of oxygen activates a survival reflex that wakes you up just enough to resume breathing. While that reflex keeps you alive, it also interrupts your sleep cycle. This prevents restful sleep. It can also put stress on your heart that may be life-threatening if untreated.
A healthcare provider can create a treatment plan to help you manage symptoms and prevent complications.
What are the different types of sleep apnea?
There are three types of sleep apnea:
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Your throat muscles relax while you’re asleep, which causes surrounding tissue to press on your windpipe. This leads them to block air movement.
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Central sleep apnea (CSA). Your brain doesn’t send signals to keep all related breathing muscles working while you sleep.
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Mixed/complex sleep apnea. This type is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea types.
How common is sleep apnea?
One study estimates that about 1 billion people (between ages 30 to 69) around the world have obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is less common than OSA but it’s not a rare condition.
Symptoms and Causes
Daytime symptoms
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Waking up repeatedly in the middle of the night
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Breathing pauses while asleep (a sleeping partner may notice this)
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Unusual breathing patterns (fast breathing that gets deeper, then shallower again until breathing stops before starting again)
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Waking up feeling short of breath or like you’re choking
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Daytime fatigue, sleepiness or exhaustion when waking up
Nighttime symptoms
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Headaches, especially when waking up
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Night sweats
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Mood changes (depression and anxiety)
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Feeling restless at night
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Sexual dysfunction