husband and wife smiling at sleep apnea device

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Understanding Your Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where a person momentarily stops breathing during the night. While a person with the disorder sleeps, this lapse in breathing results in their brain waking them up so they can start breathing again. Most often a person is not aware of this lapse in breathing. This stop-and-start pattern continues throughout the entire time the person is asleep. Because patients with this disorder wake up frequently throughout the night, they are not getting enough deep sleep. Deep sleep is important to keep your body functioning well. This means that people with this disorder may experience symptoms such as fatigue and a weakened immune system. This disorder is very common in the United States, but often goes undiagnosed. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, approximately 23.5 million American adults have undiagnosed sleep apnea. It is more common in men, especially older men, but women, and even children, can have it, too.

Types Of  Sleep Apnea

While all types of sleep apnea cause disruptions in a person’s breathing, there are four different types. These types are:

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which affects approximately 30 million Americans, as outlined by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. OSA occurs when, during sleep, your back throat muscles do not keep the airway open as the base of the tongue falls back against the back of the throat. This causes your airway to narrow or collapse. This can happen for several reasons, including excess tissue in the throat, a narrow airway or relaxed throat muscles.

  • Central Sleep Apnea: The second type is central sleep apnea (CSA). CSA is less common—according to the Sleep Foundation, only 0.9% of American adults over 40 live with the condition. This disorder happens during sleep when your brain fails to tell your throat muscles to breathe in air. This results in pauses in breathing during sleep, which can last for several seconds or even minutes.

  • Mixed/Complex Sleep Apnea: The third type is mixed/complex sleep apnea, which combines aspects of both OSA and CSA. For this type, a person experiences both the repeated pauses in breathing found in CSA, as well as the partial or complete blockage of the upper airway that is found in OSA. It can also develop in individuals who were already diagnosed with OSA.

Symptoms & Signs

Sleep apnea not only affects you while you are asleep, but also while you are awake. Though snoring is a common and well-known sign, that does not mean that all people who live with the condition snore. It is important to be aware of any other signs or symptoms you may experience. Some of the many different symptoms of this condition include:

Nighttime Symptoms

  • Snoring

  • Gasping for air/making a choking noise

  • Nasal congestion

  • Insomnia

  • Restless sleep

  • Night sweats

  • Increased heart rate

  • Frequent awakenings

Daytime Symptoms

  • Sleepiness

  • Irritability

  • Dry mouth in the morning

  • Morning headaches

  • High blood pressure

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Fatigue

How Can Sleep Apnea Affect You?

A good night’s sleep is important for daytime function. This disorder means that you wake up many times throughout the night, which prevents you from getting enough deep sleep. Adequate deep sleep is essential to feeling well-rested the next morning. Fatigue caused by your sleep disorder can make you have trouble concentrating and can cause brain fog and mood changes. Over time, this can have a negative effect on your mental health, leading to disorders such as anxiety and depression. Lack of high-quality sleep can also affect your physical health, as sleep helps the body fight infection. At Virginia Sleep and TMJ Therapy, our goal is to provide the best treatment to restore your sleep, so you can be well-rested and have an overall better quality of life.

What Are The Benefits Of Sound Sleep?

Good, sound sleep is crucial to your overall health and well-being. When you sleep, your body repairs and rejuvenates itself. Your brain also works on storing memories and information while you are asleep. Since a sleep disorder disrupts your continuous sleep, it prevents you not only from getting the rest that you need, but from getting the health benefits, too. Health benefits include:

Sleep plays a crucial role in the functioning of the brain. It helps improve cognitive function, including memory, concentration and decision-making skills.

Quality sleep also helps improve the immune system by producing and releasing cytokines, a type of protein that helps fight off infection, inflammation and stress.

Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and hypertension.

Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite, leading to overeating and weight gain. Getting enough sleep can help regulate these hormones, promoting a healthy weight.

Adequate sleep helps improve mood, and it also reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

How Sound Sleep Can Improve Your Physical Performance

Sound sleep is important for sports and exercise, as well. Sleep gives your body, especially your muscles, time to repair and recover from exercising. Since sports utilize both the body and the mind, getting enough rest is important for the function of both. Getting sound sleep helps your:

  • Energy and endurance, as being well-rested helps with your stamina.

  • Reaction time and accuracy: helps you react better and more quickly, which can improve your accuracy.

  • Focus, including your memory and ability to pay close attention.

  • Coordination, making it easier to do precise movements while also improving your overall performance.

  • Immune system, which helps keep you healthy and also helps repair any bodily injuries.

what is sleep apnea

Better Sleep, Better Quality Of Life

At Virginia Sleep & TMJ Therapy in Richmond, VA, we are committed to helping you restore sound sleep, so you can perform at your best in all aspects of your life. Receiving treatment for your condition is important. Not only will it improve the quality of both your sleep and life, but it will also often reduce any additional health risks.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above or have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (804) 729-3474. We will be happy to help you!