Apnea is a term that literally means absence of breathing and when this is applied to sleep, it refers to a condition wherein the person will stop breathing for a couple of seconds or even minutes while dozing off.  When this happens, patients with sleep apnea may always get interrupted during their sleep.  Some people will also have a restless sleep while others will complain of headaches in the morning.  It is also common for sleep apnea patients to snore or have some kind of memory loss due to their abnormal sleep pattern.

The breathing interruption in sleep apnea is typically due to the blockage of the upper part of the airway.  Under normal conditions, the breathing muscles down the throat work efficiently with the lungs.  When any of these muscles relax too much or become weak, the throat area may be blocked and therefore not allow the air to easily pass through.  This blockage may last for only a few seconds but there are people who get breathing interruptions for a few minutes.  This cycle may go on and on during the night with up to 100 hundred breathing interruptions in an hour. There are also cases wherein the abnormality lies within the brain and causes the breathing interruptions.

Sleep apnea treatment depends on the severity of the condition.  For those with mild conditions, lifestyle adjustments and sleep pattern modification may be all it would take to get better.  In these mild cases, people are often advised to sleep on their side to allow their airways to be constantly open during the night. Some people will also be prescribed with medication that can help them relax and get better sleep.  There are also instances wherein obese patients are told to lose some weight in order to ease some pressure on their lungs and improve their breathing during sleep.  Serious cases of sleep apnea may involve using devices and mouthpieces that help open the patient’s airways during their sleep.  Extreme cases may also require surgical removal of some parts of the throat.