What is
Sleep Apnea?
Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
If you’re constantly waking up tired even after a full night’s sleep, you may be one of the millions of Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
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What is Obstructive
Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes you to continuously stop and start breathing throughout the night, leading to consistent disruptions in sleep, loud snoring, and an increased risk of health problems. When you sleep, your airway relaxes (particularly during REM sleep). If it relaxes too much, it can collapse and cause an apnea, or a cessation of breathing and airflow. Once this happens, your oxygen levels will drop, and your brain will signal for the body to take a deep breath. To do this, your body must wake itself up, even if it’s ever so slightly. You may not even notice that you’re awake, but your sleep is disrupted, nonetheless.These sleep disruptions can happen anywhere from 20 to 120 times an hour. Over eight hours, that’s up to 960 micro sleep disruptions throughout the night. It’s no wonder you wake up tired, restless, and with many other common sleep apnea symptoms.
Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Men
Men have a two to three times higher risk for developing sleep apnea than women, while most people associate sleep apnea in men with aggressive snoring, there are many other common symptoms of sleep apnea, including:
- Excessive fatigue or drowsiness during the day (hypersomnia)
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Frequent episodes in which you stop breathing while you sleep
- Frequent and sudden waking during the night
- Gasping or choking while you sleep
- Morning dry mouth, sore throat, or headaches
- Lack of focus on daily activities
- Irritability, mood changes, anxiety, or depression
- High blood pressure
Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Women
While women are less likely to have sleep apnea than men, research shows that as many as one in five women can suffer from the sleep disorder, and nine out of ten will go undiagnosed. The symptoms of sleep apnea in women are largely the same as those in men. Due to significant hormonal changes in the body, women are also at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea during pregnancy and during and after menopause.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
There is no single cause of sleep apnea. The condition can affect men, women, and even children. While anyone at nearly any age can experience sleep apnea, there are certain known risk factors that increase a person’s chances of developing it. Preventing sleep apnea is not generally possible, but you can mitigate your chances of developing it if you control your risk factors. The most common risk factors and causes of sleep apnea include:
Anatomy and physiology
People with thicker necks, smaller upper and lower jaws, and narrow airways are more at risk.
Family
If your family has a history of sleep apnea, you may be more at risk.
Substance Use
Smoking and alcohol use can exacerbate sleep apnea.
Comorbidities
Many other medical conditions can increase the risk of sleep apnea. These can include diabetes, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, lung disease, asthma, and others.
Weight
Obesity and excessive
weight gain.
Biological Sex
Men are more likely to be at risk.
Advanced Age
Seniors are more likely to develop sleep apnea.
Risk factors and sleep apnea causes in women can also include:
- Having had a cesarian section
- Gestational diabetes
- Low birth weight
- Preterm births
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
Sleep Apnea Side Effects
Once diagnosed, most people ask, “is sleep apnea dangerous?” While sleep apnea itself is not dangerous, the effects it has on your body can lead to serious short and long-term medical issues, which is why diagnosis and treatment are so important.
Sleep apnea impacts your mind and body in many ways.
The side effects of sleep apnea include:
- Daytime fatigue and drowsiness
- Reduced blood oxygen levels
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Heart disease
- Diabetes and high blood sugar
- High cholesterol
- Liver problems
- Weakened immune system
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Depression and anxiety
- Decreased sexual desire
- Increased risk of accidents
- Weight gain
- Circadian rhythm disorders
- Relationship tensions
Find out more about the side effects of sleep apnea here.
How to diagnose sleep apnea
With today’s medical science and technology, getting a sleep apnea diagnosis is easier and more convenient than ever. Remember, a sleep apnea diagnosis might not seem like something to celebrate, but it means you’ve taken the first step to improving your quality of life.
At GEM SLEEP, we make sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment easy. Our at home sleep apnea tests allow you to diagnose your condition without ever leaving home. No clinics, no wires, and no six-month processes. We can get you started on treatment in as little as three weeks, and we provide all the ongoing support you need to manage your sleep apnea through sleep coaching.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
What are the treatments options for sleep apnea? The most common form of treatment is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine, also known as a CPAP machine. Other methods exist, so you have options if you want to try sleep apnea treatment without a CPAP.
The most common treatment for sleep apnea includes:
CPAP Machines
These machines include a mask that goes over the nose while you sleep, providing you with room air that opens your airway and allows you to sleep better. It’s incredibly effective. Learn more about CPAP machines.
Oral Appliances
These small acrylic or nylon devices fit over the upper and lower teeth, holding the jaw slightly forward and allowing you to breath smoothly while you sleep.
Learn more about oral appliances.
Surgery
This is often used only after a CPAP machine or oral appliance has been used. It involves one of many procedures that can include removing tissues from your mouth and throat, jaw repositioning, implants, or a tracheostomy.
Lifestyle Changes
For those looking to avoid any type of surgery or treatment for sleep apnea, you can try to undergo certain lifestyle changes that reduce the risks factors associated with sleep apnea. These can include weight loss, dietary changes, quitting smoking, eliminating alcohol, medication changes, and others.
