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{\title The information below is a reproduction of material from the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research}{\author Carol Webster}{\operator Webster}{\creatim\yr2005\mo1\dy13\hr22\min33}{\revtim\yr2005\mo1\dy13\hr22\min33}
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{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 
\fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs16 
The information below is a reproduction of material from the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. No changes have been made to the text of the article, but section headings have been highlighted. The National Center on Sleep Disorders Research is 
a part of the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
\par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\fs36\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs28 WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood. First described in 1965, sleep ap
nea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. It owes its name to a Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath." There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less 
c
ommon, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to 
breathe continue.
\par In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses or "apneic events" may be as high as 20 to 30 or more per hour. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea episodes, although not everyone who 
snores has this condition. Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations. The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often lead to early morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness.
\par Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
\par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\fs36\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs28 WHO GETS SLEEP APNEA?
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes but is more common in men (it may be underdiagnosed in women) 
and possibly young African Americans. It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Four percent of middle-aged men and 2 percent of middle-aged women have sleep apnea along with excessive daytime sleepiness. People most lik
e
ly to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore loudly and also are overweight, or have high blood pressure, or have some physical abnormality in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway. Sleep apnea seems to run in some families, su
ggesting a possible genetic basis.
\par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\fs36\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs28 WHAT CAUSES SLEEP APNEA?
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
Certain mechanical and structural problems in the airway cause the interruptions in breathing during sleep. In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and pa
rtially block the opening of the airway. When the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula (the small fleshy tissue hanging from the center of the back of the throat) relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked, making breathing la
b
ored and noisy and even stopping it altogether. Sleep apnea also can occur in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes it to be narrowed. With a narrowed airway, the person continues his or her efforts to breathe, but air cannot e
a
sily flow into or out of the nose or mouth. Unknown to the person, this results in heavy snoring, periods of no breathing, and frequent arousals (causing abrupt changes from deep sleep to light sleep). Ingestion of alcohol and sleeping pills increases the
 frequency and duration of breathing pauses in people with sleep apnea.
\par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\fs36\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs28 HOW IS NORMAL BREATHING RESTORED DURING SLEEP}{?

\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
During the apneic event, the person is unable to breathe in oxygen and to exhale carbon dioxide, resulting in low levels of oxygen and inc
reased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. The reduction in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide alert the brain to resume breathing and cause an arousal. With each arousal, a signal is sent from the brain to the upper airway muscles to open the airwa
y; breathing is resumed, often with a loud snort or gasp. Frequent arousals, although necessary for breathing to restart, prevent the patient from getting enough restorative, deep sleep.
\par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\fs36\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\fs28 WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP APNEA?
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\cf1\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {Because of the serious disturbanc
es in their normal sleep patterns, people with sleep apnea often feel very sleepy during the day and their concentration and daytime performance suffer. The consequences of sleep apnea range from annoying to life-threatening. They include depression, irri
t
ability, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have high blood pressure. Although it is not known with certaint
y
 if there is a cause and effect relationship, it appears that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure. Risk for heart attack and stroke may also increase in those with sleep apnea. In addition, sleep apnea is sometimes implicated in sudden infant d
eath syndrome.
\par }\pard\plain \s1\ql \li0\ri0\sb240\sa60\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel0\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \b\f1\fs32\lang2057\langfe1033\kerning32\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {Sleep Apnea \endash  A Sufferers Tale.
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par Have you ever had a sleepless night? You toss and turn for some reason, maybe a nagging problem on your mind, the night is a cycle of drifting off only to awaken minutes later. When the alarm bell
 rings you get up feeling just as tired as you did when you went to bed, you feel irritable and lethargic, no real motivation for the day ahead. 
\par 
\par Have you ever had a sleepless week? Probably not but you might have been unlucky enough. The days blur, irritation turns to depression, you lack any motivation for anything other than the sleep you know you won\rquote 
t get. You have to go to work to pay the bills but that is all you can cope with, any hobbies or interests go out of the window as all you can manage is to flop on the couch in front of the TV hoping that tonight will be the night when the cycle breaks.

\par 
\par Have you ever had a sleepless month? Your family life suffers as you can no longer pay the ones you love the attention that you used to, they have to start
 picking up on your chores and responsibilities. Life is now a cycle of trying to put in a full days work, coming home as soon as you can, and getting as much rest as you can to prepare you for the next day.
\par 
\par I have had no proper sleep for the past 6 years! I have Sleep Apnea, the soft tissues in my palette collapse when I\rquote 
m relaxed and block my windpipe stopping me from breathing. The oxygen in my blood drops dangerously and so my body forces me to gasp for air, waking me from sleep. This happens some 24 t
imes in an hour, nearly every other second, sometimes I stop breathing for 17 seconds (try it \endash 
 it is longer than it sounds). These episodes eliminate any chance of restorative deep REM sleep, leaving me a waking zombie. Sometimes I have the pleasure of wa
king at night choking with stomach contents coming through my nose, as the negative pressure from my body trying to breathe forms a vacuum against my collapsed windpipe sucking at bile and foodstuff, which is expelled through my nostrils as soon as the va
cuum is broken.
\par 
\par Like most sleep apnea sufferers I have high blood pressure and take drugs to counter this along with the heightened risk of a possibly fatal heart attack or stroke. Sleep deprivation means I often suffer with depression and that my immune s
ystem is compromised leaving me prone to mysterious allergies, and highly susceptible to any bug that happens to be doing the rounds. I count myself lucky though, I can just about hold down a full time job, many sufferers are much worse off, only managing
 an hour or two of productive activity on a good day.
\par 
\par There is treatment available, a device called CPAP, which continuously blows air down your nose in order to keep your airway open and stop the apnea episodes. It\rquote s difficult to get used to, and in my ca
se I am unable to use it due to the structure of my nose. People like me, unable to use CPAP, often resort to Tracheotomies, bypassing the entire area that collapses. I\rquote 
m hoping that I can have surgery to fix the problem with my nose, as I really don\rquote t want to have to breathe through a hole in my throat.
\par 
\par }}