People with sleep apnea stop breathing for seconds or minutes at a time during the night. Stopped breathing causes restless sleep, frequent awakenings, headaches, loud snoring, and memory impairment. Due to a malfunction of the muscles or a malfunction of the brain, the throat does not open in time with the expansion of the lungs, so the blood cannot get enough oxygen.
Two types of sleep apnea work by different means but create the same effect. In the obstructive variety, your throat closes when it usually stays open to let air through. At first, shallow or short breaths are still squeezed out, but then the throat shrinks completely closed. Your body feels that your throat, tongue, or uvula must be preventing the breaths. When oxygen isn't being absorbed, your brain sends an emergency signal to wake you up so it can clear your airway.
The brain is to blame for the second type of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea. The brain stops reliably regulating its automatic muscle movements, such as lung expansion and heartbeat, which occur even when other muscles are paralyzed during deep sleep. The neurons don't carry messages properly to trigger the "breathing" directive in the throat and lungs, so you stop breathing regularly.
From the Greek "apnea," meaning "needing for breath," this condition is alarmingly common. Sleep apnea especially affects people over 50 years of age, men and overweight. Chronically undertreated, sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed. People assume they're not getting the best night's sleep, not realizing they're not breathing enough.
Sleep apnea makes you feel tired and irritable when you have trouble remembering or concentrating. Someone sleeping near you can tell you if you hear coughing or snoring. Since sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke, we all need to make sure we're getting enough oxygen at night.
Your general practitioner may supervise an overnight observation by a neurologist, pulmonologist, or polysomnologist who studies aspects of sleep behavior. They can connect it to sensors to measure brain waves, muscle movement, pulse, and oxygen saturation. They will determine if you stop breathing for more than ten seconds at least five times an hour. Surgery may be used to remove tissue from the throat or tonsils. Your breathing may be assisted by an air pressure machine that keeps your airways open. Most often, your doctor will recommend important lifestyle changes, including not drinking alcohol or taking any type of sleep aid before falling asleep, losing weight, or sleeping on your side instead of your back. See your doctor for details about sleep apnea.