If you find yourself feeling tired or sleepy during the day, you might not be sleeping well at night. Maybe you just need to get to bed earlier. Or, if your partner often complains about your snoring or gasping for breath during the night, you may suffer from a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
OSA is a common, chronic (ongoing) disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. These breathing pauses, caused by sleep apnea, can last from a few seconds to a minute, and can occur at least five times an hour. After such pauses, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound. The sufferer often moves out of deep sleep and into light sleep when breathing pauses or becomes shallow. This can result in poor sleep quality that causes tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of daytime sleepiness.1
People with OSA tend to have a narrower airway than normal, often at the base of the tongue and palate. During sleep, relaxation of muscles in the throat can cause the palate to fall backwards, obstructing the airway.2
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, untreated sleep apnea can1:
- Cause excessive daytime sleepiness
- Increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and obesity
- Increase the risk of or worsen heart failure
- Increase the likelihood of irregular heartbeats
- Increase the likelihood of having driving accidents or work-related accidents