Sleeping has been one of humanity’s favorite pastimes for centuries; several countries even dedicate time to a nationwide nap each day. But for many people, sleep is an unattainable dream, and this is especially true for those who suffer from sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central.
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is the most common type. It occurs when your throat muscles relax as you sleep, blocking airflow into your lungs.
Central sleep apnea, or CSA, occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
How do I know if I have sleep apnea?
The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are:
- Loud snoring
- Times in which you stop breathing during sleep
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Waking up with dry mouth
- Having a headache in the morning
- Insomnia/difficulty staying asleep
- Hypersomnia/excessive daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty paying attention while awake
- Irritability
Since many of these symptoms happen when you’re— well, asleep, they can be difficult to figure out if you don’t have a partner noticing these things. However, you can do a sleep study or at-home sleep apnea testing to figure out if you suffer from sleep apnea. If you have difficulty sleeping, talk to your doctor and see if a sleep study may be right for you.
What’s the big deal?
Aside from the lack of sleep, sleep apnea can cause other complications.
- Common sleep apnea complications include:
- Daytime fatigue, which can result in low concentration, drowsiness, and quick-temperedness.
- High blood pressure or heart problems; the sudden blood oxygen level drops that occur in OSA increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system, and having OSA increases your risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).
- Risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
- Risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is linked to higher risk of heart disease and includes high blood pressure, increased waist circumference, abnormal cholesterol levels, and high blood sugar.
- Liver problems; those with sleep apnea are more likely to have irregular results on liver function tests as well as signs of scarring on their livers (known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).
- Sleep deprived partners and relationship strain, because no matter how much you love someone, it’s hard to cuddle them when they sound like a chainsaw.
How do I know if I’m at risk for sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but there are certain factors that can increase your risk.
Risk factors for both OSA and CSA include:
- Middle aged to older people are at higher risk for sleep apnea.
- Men are at a higher risk for both types of sleep apnea than women (2-3 times more likely), though women’s risk increases if they are overweight or have gone through menopause.
Risk factors for OSA include:
- Obesity can greatly increase the risk of OSA. If you have fat deposits around your upper airway, they can obstruct your breathing.
- People with thicker necks may have narrower airways.
- A narrowed airway, which can be inherited with a narrow throat or can be caused by an airway blockage due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids (this is especially common in children).
- Having family members with sleep apnea may increase your risk.
- Use of alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers can cause your throat muscles to relax, which is the primary cause of OSA.
- Smoking can increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway, making smokers three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than nonsmokers.
- If you have trouble breathing through your nose, whether by nasal blockage or allergies, you’re more likely to develop OSA.
- Medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma can increase risk.
Risk factors for CSA include:
- Heart disorders such as congestive heart disorder increases risk.
- Using narcotic pain medicines, especially long-acting ones such as methadone, increases the risk of CSA.
- Having a stroke increases your risk.
So what do I do?
Talking to your doctor is a good first step to figuring out if you have sleep apnea. Once diagnosed, many people will end up with either a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine or BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) machine. These machines have their differences, but ultimately, they help you breathe while you’re asleep.
CPAP machines
A CPAP machine (Alpine) provides the same air pressure whether you’re breathing in or out. Because sleep apnea is caused by an obstructed airway (whether through overly relaxed muscles in OSA or miscommunication between muscles and the brain in CSA), the CPAP takes the surrounding air, filters it, pressurizes it, and pushes continuously into your airway so that it won’t close up. This air is delivered through tubes and into one of the following masks:
- A nasal mask, which only covers your nose; this is normally recommended for people who move around while they sleep.
- A nasal pillow mask, which only covers your nostrils instead of your entire nose; some of these masks have prongs that fit into your nostrils.
or
- A full mask, which covers both your nose and mouth. For people who breathe through their mouth while sleeping, a full mask is the best option.
BiPAP machines
A BiPAP machine (Alpine) adjusts the pressure you get based on whether you’re inhaling or exhaling. When you inhale, the machine gives you a higher air pressure (inhalation positive airway pressure, or IPAP), and when you exhale it gives you a lower air pressure (exhalation positive airway pressure, or EPAP). The BiPAP machine can give these pressures in a timed manner or adjust the pressure based on your breathing patterns. BiPAP machines use the same masks as CPAP machines, so you still have options between nasal, nasal pillow, and full masks.
Though sleep apnea is unpleasant, it isn't untreatable. CPAP and BiPAP machines are just a few of the solutions for those who struggle with sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor about which solution would be best for you, and rest easy.
