Breathing Problems While Sleeping

It is a nightmare (well, pun intended!) when you sleep peacefully and the person beside you snores away to glory. That poor fellow, though not his fault becomes an object of ridicule or fun. This is a result of breathing difficulties while sleeping. This problem is encountered by adults falling asleep at unlikely places and those who snore at night; elderly men and women, night shift workers, overweight people, post menopausal women, those who indulge in over consumption of alcohol and those with psychological problems. Most of these nocturnal breathing problems come under the umbrella of a disorder called sleep apnea. A low down on sleep apnea and other breathing problems while sleeping.

Sleep Apnea
Repetitive involuntary breaks in breathing while a person is asleep is called sleep apnea. The pauses can range from 10 seconds to a minute or so. Interestingly and shockingly enough, studies have shown that people suffering from this problem may not breathe around 400 times in a single night! Nevertheless, there are three classifications of adult sleep apnea. They are:

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Snoring is the most prominent symptom of sleep apnea. Other than that, a person suffering from sleep apnea wakes with a snort on account of recommencement of breathing, as mentioned earlier, falling asleep in situations where you do not generally fall asleep and being sleepy the whole day are the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea and Heart
Believe it or not, snoring and sleep apnea elevates the chances of several cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure, ischemic heart disease (a condition caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle), cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeat rhythm), and cerebral infarction (blood clot in the brain) are included as a result of snoring and sleep apnea. But there is one thing to be remembered here, that only snoring, does not pose a threat of an impending heart disease. If it is coupled with key symptoms of sleep apnea, then it can be associated with heart problems.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea
In this type of sleep apnea an individual's airway is obstructed while he or she is sleeping. This creates problems in breathing. There could be a total obstruction or a partial obstruction, on account of relaxation of muscles in the throat, tongue and soft palate. An individual with obstructive sleep apnea has a tendency to snoring very heavily.

Central Sleep Apnea
Here, the brain for a few times fails to send the signals to breathe to the chest muscles and diaphragm. A person dealing with central apnea may not snore. However, that person is likely to be more aware of the fact of frequent his or her awakenings at night, than the obstructed sleep apnea he or she is suffering from. This is a common occurrence in the elderly.

Mixed Sleep Apnea
This type of sleep apnea is a combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Technically, a period of central apnea is followed by an obstructive sleep apnea. It is then followed by regular breathing. As it is a combination of both, people suffering from mixed sleep apnea snore considerably.

Breathing Problems in Infants
Prior to the birth of a baby, the mother's breathing is adequate for her baby. After a baby is born, it begins a periodic pattern of breathing, but it is not without being followed by successive apnea. That is followed by normal breathing. In newborn infants, sleep apnea ranging from 10 to 15 seconds is common. Over a period of time, as the child grows up, the frequency of apnea goes down. It is important to note that babies who turn blue and seem to be limp, could have bouts of inadequate breathing and they should be checked if they have a sleep related disorder. Read more on sleep disorders in toddlers.

Finally, the treatment precedes giving a sleep test on which the course of treatment is determined. If required, the doctor might prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure - CPAP device. If the symptoms are mild, losing weight, decreasing alcohol consumption before sleeping, avoiding sleeping pills and smoking and sleeping on your side rather than back can prove helpful.

In case you have any such problems, it is advisable that you seek immediate medical consultation. Take care!