Sleep Apnea (also called Sleep Apnoea) is a common sleep disorder that is characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep, which force the sufferer to wake up to resume normal breathing, and disrupt and disturb their normal sleep cycle. These episodes, called apneas, usually last from a few seconds up to as long as sixty seconds in severe cases, and may occur repeatedly throughout the night.

Sleep Apnea Described in Layman's Terms

Sleep apnea (also sometimes spelled sleep apnoea) comes about when a sufferer's breathing discontinues as they sleep. It is defined as "a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep." These breaks of sleep are "apneas", and they generally take place over a period of ten seconds or more and can occur quite a few times throughout the course of a night. Persons who suffer with this sleep disorder often awake produced by their struggle to get their breath but commonly do not remember how they suffered during the night.

Researchers who study sleep and sleep disorders break sleep problems down into three different categories, which include obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea (CSA) and mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (abbreviated to OSA) is by far the more commonly observed form. In this case the soft tissue found in the back part of the throat relaxes too much and it interrupts the normal flow of air. Despite the effort to breathe, when an individual afflicted with sleep apnea sleeps, it is not possible for the airflow to pass from the nose and mouth into the lungs freely. The natural process of obstructive sleep apnea causes the blood to have a decreased level of oxygen in it. Regular breathing starts out by way of a small degree of choking or a snorting sensation. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is not very common. It occurs when the brain undergoes troubles in sending out signals to the body in terms of regular breathing patterns. The third form of of sleep apnea known as mixed sleep apnea is just that, it is a combination of the other two but has more in common with OSA and its treatment follows much the same course.

Victims who have interrupted sleep patterns are quite often very exhausted during the day. In fact "excessive daytime sleepiness" is one of the major symptoms of sleep apnea. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea don't get any rest over night due to the drop-off in blood oxygenation levels, the interruptions in breathing and/or the scramble for the airways to move air into and out of the lungs, and finally, an individual will fall into a deep soundless sleep but then suddenly be jolted out of it and into a lighter sleep. When this happens too many times throughout the course of a night, it induces problems.

Persons who have a tendency towards sleep apnea often are loud snorers also. But that does not inevitably mean that the same persons also suffer from sleep apnea, and vice versa. Not everyone who has sleep apnea recognizes that they also do indeed snore. Most people who suffer from sleep apnea are not aware that they have pauses in their breathing at night. Typically it takes a spouse or another family member to become aware of the fact that an individual suffers from a form of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is more common in patients who have excessive weight on their bodies although even those without weight problems can develop sleep apnea.