Home Sleep Health What is Sleep Apnea?

3 mins

27 April 2022

What is Sleep Apnea?

Most of us have heard of the term Sleep Apnea before. A lot of us would associate it with snoring and some of us might assume that people who snore have sleep apnea. But let’s explore more on this condition and enhance what we know about it.

Sleep Apnea is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by repeated episodes of complete or partial upper airway obstruction during sleep. This condition leads to a decrease in the oxygen content in the blood and sleep fragmentation which are repetitive short interruptions of sleep. Because of this airway obstruction, the typical symptoms for sleep apnea is heavy snoring as well as tiredness during the day due to chronic sleep deprivation.

Studies have shown that 2-5% of adult women and 3-7% of adult men suffer from symptomatic sleep apnea.

The deterioration of your sleep quality is the primary effect of this condition. This leads to drowsiness and fatigue during the day, as well as cognitive dysfunction and impaired work performance. This condition has also been identified as a risk factor for other conditions like systematic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Certain studies have also shown that men who suffer from sleep apnea have significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those not suffering from it.

Some of the risk factors associated with this condition are advancing age, obesity, family history, craniofacial abnormalities, heavy cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. There is also a skew towards males for this condition. For females specifically, menopause can be a risk factor. However, we must keep in mind that these are only risk factors that may increase your vulnerability for the disorder and not the actual causes.

This condition is recognized as a serious disease but it often stays undetected. Sleeping partners can help to report any abnormalities during the night like heavy snoring and/or breathing problems/ pauses during sleep. Early detection helps in having the appropriate and effective therapy for those with sleep apnea so that they can counteract serious health consequences.

Treatment of milder forms of this condition would include:

  • weight reduction
  • quitting of smoking
  • maintenance of a regular sleeping pattern
  • or treatment of nasal allergies to support better breathing at night.

If symptoms do not improve using these methods, or if the case of sleep apnea is severe, various treatments/ devices are possible. One of the most common and most reliable methods is the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which is a machine that you put on before going to bed. This machine delivers air pressure through a mask to keep the upper airways open.

Other methods include Oral Appliances which are designed to keep your throat open, or Supplemental Oxygen machines which counteract the shortage of oxygen during the sleep. These are only a few examples of the treatments and therapies which are used to address this condition.

Takeaway

As you can see, this is not something that you should take lightly. It is quite difficult to detect, hence its important to ask the help of your sleeping partner. If they notice any irregularities when you sleep, you should consider consulting your doctor to examine the matter further and intervene in good time if necessary.

Sleep Better with Sunrise by Emma

Living with sleep apnea can be a hindrance in getting good quality sleep, but Sunrise by Emma is here to help you rest better at night. Here, we not only have articles on sleep health, but also tips on getting better sleep to help you awaken your best. You can also head on over to Emma UK and shop for mattresses and pillows that will undoubtedly aid in how you sleep.

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Sleep plays an essential role in keeping our body and mind healthy and recharged. Without enough hours of sleep, you’ll start feeling the symptoms and effects of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a condition caused by inadequate quantity and quality of sleep. This condition is common among teens and adults. According to the National Health Service (NHS), teenagers (ages 13-18) need at least eight to 10 hours of sleep. Meanwhile, adults (ages 19-60 years) need six to nine hours of sleep per night. But various studies have revealed that around 33% of teens and 63% of adults in the UK are not getting enough sleep, which could lead to many health problems if not treated or resolved right. It’s important for people to realise how important sleep is for their physical and mental health. Treating sleep deprivation early on can help you live a healthier life and become more productive in the day. 

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Have you ever experienced trouble in falling asleep?  You close your eyes but your mind keeps spinning so you cannot fall asleep? Well, sometimes our minds just won’t stop bothering us – and that’s where meditation can help. To fall asleep, our body and mind need to calm down and relax. Sounds simple, right? However, many people find this utterly difficult to do. Meditation, as a relaxation technique, may help you to quiet your body and mind while enhancing inner peace and balance. This is especially useful when you start focusing on worrisome thoughts at night in bed a time when you are not as easily distracted by other things as during the day.

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It’s well-established that getting quality sleep is essential to our physical and mental health. Getting a good night’s sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and regular exercise. But despite its importance, over the past few decades, people’s sleep quality and quantity have declined with a troubling percentage of 33% among adults not getting enough proper sleep. Many are seeking the best tips for better sleep because poor sleep has immediate negative psychical and mental impacts on health

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We’ve all heard claims of how technology has interfered with our ability to sleep well. Many say that the light from the screens hurt our ability to sleep quickly and deeply, while others say that the distraction that technology frequently creates hurts sleep quality. While some of these claims are true, simply saying that tech is bad for sleep is false! After all, technology encompasses so many different devices than the typical laptop or phone. Other technologies out there exist that are created to facilitate better sleep!