What Is Sleep Apnea?
1. What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes you to stop and start breathing while asleep, which temporarily lowers your oxygen levels. Although the disorder is very common, it often needs to be evaluated and treated by a medical professional. People who suffer from it can have apnea episodes any time sleep occurs, whether at night or during a daytime nap.
Doctors recognize three major types of sleep apnea, and most cases fall into one of these categories. The most commonly diagnosed type, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when the muscles of the throat relax too much while sleeping. Central sleep apnea occurs when the signals of the brain that control breathing while asleep are not functioning optimally. Some individuals have a combination of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This is known as complex sleep apnea syndrome and can be more difficult to treat.
