Sleep Apnoea: A snoring matter

Ever had the unpleasant wake-up call of a jab in the ribs from someone who just couldn’t take your snoring any longer? That midnight jolt may actually be a wake-up call to a much bigger problem.

Sleep apnoea is a snoring matter only in that many people with the condition are chronic snorers. Aside from that, sleep apnoea can cause many other problems, including daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnoea is also often associated with obesity and being overweight.

Read on to learn more about sleep apnoea and what can be done about it.

Read more :

• Are you wanting breath?
• The weight factor
• More than a bad night's sleep
• "Head-bobbing" can kill
• What to do about it

Are you wanting breath?

Obstructive sleep apnoea (Greek for “want of breath”) is a breathing disorder that affects between two and four percent of Australian adults. Sleep apnoea causes a person to involuntarily stop breathing for a few moments during sleep. This can occur up to 30 times an hour, usually without the affected person even knowing.

In people who have sleep apnoea, the throat muscles and tongue that relax during sleep actually cause the airway to become blocked. Breathing then becomes difficult or noisy, which results in unsettled sleep and numerous side effects.

• disturbed sleep
• daytime sleepiness
• loud snoring
• morning headaches
• recent weight gain
• feeling unrested upon waking up
• limited attention
• memory loss
• poor judgment
• lethargy
• oedema (abnormal tissue swelling)
• high blood pressure

Older, obese men are at a higher risk for sleep apnoea but as many as 40 percent of people with obstructive sleep apnoea are not obese. Nasal obstruction, a large tongue, a narrow airway, and large neck are all common causes of obstructive sleep apnoea.