Sleep apnea is a potential sleep disorder in which breathing pauses or repeatedly stops and starts or infrequent breathing occurs in sleep. It affects the way of breathe in sleep and each pause is an apnea which last for several seconds to minutes. It occurs at a frequency of 5 times per hour, jolting out of your natural sleep.
Sleep apnea, also known as sleep apnea, is a sleep disorder in which a person has breathing pauses or periods of shallow breathing. Each break can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and they occur several times a night. In the most common form, this follows a loud snore. There may be choking or sniffling when breathing resumes. Because of the disorder, normal sleep, those affected may feel drowsy or tired during the day. In children, this can cause hyperactivity or problems at school.
Sleep apnea can be either obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which breathing is interrupted by blockage of air flow, central sleep apnea (CSA) in which regular unconscious breathing is a combination of the two. Obstructive (OSA) is the most common form. Risk factors for OSA include overweight, a family history of disease, allergies, a small airway, and enlarged tonsils. Some people with sleep apnea do not know they have the condition. In many cases, it is the first observed by a family member. Sleep apnea is often diagnosed by a night sleep study.