What is Sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea

What is sleep apnea?

If you have sleep apnea, there are times during the night when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer.

Sleep apnea can make you feel tired during the day.

You may wake up with a snorting, choking or gasping sound. You start breathing again and go back to sleep. This can happen several times an hour, all night, so you can't stay in a deep sleep.

You may not even be aware that you woke up briefly. But if your sleep is upset throughout the night, you'll feel sleepy during the day.

The most common type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. It happens because the muscles in your throat relax, blocking the flow of air to your lungs. Your airway might be completely blocked or only partly blocked. When you stop breathing, the amount of oxygen in your blood drops. Your brain recognizes this and makes your body start breathing again.

Doctors call this type of disturbed sleep and daytime sleepiness obstructive sleep apnea/ hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). There are also two other kinds of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea and complex sleep apnea. To learn more, see Other types of sleep apnea.

To find out if you have sleep apnea, and how bad it is, your doctor will need to find out more about how well you breathe while you're asleep. He or she will also ask about how sleepy you are during the day.

Breathing during sleep

Your doctors needs to know how often there is a pause in your breathing. This helps them decide how severe your problem is. You might be asked to stay overnight in a sleep laboratory. Or your doctor might ask you to have your breathing measured at home.

Here's one guide which doctors use:

If your breathing is affected between five and 20 times an hour, you have mild sleep apnea
If your breathing is affected between 20 and 35 times an hour, you have moderate sleep apnea
If your breathing is affected more than 35 times an hour, you have severe sleep apnea.

Daytime sleepiness

You may be asked to fill in a questionnaire called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Source:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine Task Force.
Sleep-related breathing disorders in adults: recommendations for syndrome definition and measurement techniques in clinical research.
Sleep. 1999; 22: 667-689.

If you feel drowsy or fall asleep when you're doing things that don't need much attention, like watching TV, you have mild sleep apnea. It only affects your life a little.
If you feel drowsy or fall asleep doing things that require some attention, such as during a meeting or concert, you have moderate sleep apnea.
If you feel drowsy or fall asleep doing things like eating, walking or driving, you have severe sleep apnea. It affects your life a lot.

You are more likely to get sleep apnea if you are:

Source:
Young TB, Peppard P.
Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea.
In: McNicholas WT, Phillipson EA (editors). Breathing disorders in sleep. WB Saunders, London, UK; 2002: 31-43.

Obese. This means you are very overweight. The extra fat around your neck makes it harder for you to keep your throat open when you sleep
Older. The risk increases as you get older
A man. Sleep apnea is twice as common among men as women
Someone who has large

tonsils
Your tonsils are a pair of lymph glands on either side of the back of your throat. They are part of your immune system. They help to fight infections that enter your body through your mouth. When your body is fighting an infection or an allergy, your tonsils become swollen. They can also swell up if you have cancer.

tonsils or

adenoids
The adenoids are a group of swellings at the back of your nose. They are made of special tissue that helps your body fight infection. Adenoids can sometimes become enlarged. When this happens, they may block the passage from your nose to your throat and cause breathing problems.

adenoids.

Sources for the information on this page:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine Task Force.Sleep-related breathing disorders in adults: recommendations for syndrome definition and measurement techniques in clinical research.Sleep. 1999; 22: 667-689.

Young TB, Peppard P.Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea.In: McNicholas WT, Phillipson EA (editors). Breathing disorders in sleep. WB Saunders, London, UK; 2002: 31-43.

This information was last updated on Jul 03, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.