Sleep Apnea Represents Both An Extremely Common and Sometimes Fatal Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is perhaps the commonest sleep disorder and affects around 18,000,000 people in the United States. A sleep disorder characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is also without question the most dangerous of sleep disorders because it starves the brain of essential oxygen and can sometimes prove fatal.

There are two totally different forms of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is in essence a neurological condition where breathing is interrupted as a result of signals sent out by the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea by contrast is in essence a mechanical problem where the windpipe is blocked either by excessive tissue or as a result of the unusual relaxation or collapse of the muscles in and around the windpipe. In either case however the results are basically the same with regular interruptions to the breathing that deprive the brain of oxygen and place the sufferer at greater risk from such things as hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

Unfortunately, diagnosing sleep apnea can prove to be a problem because snoring, which is one of its commonest symptoms and often leads to sleep apnea being known as the snoring disease, is also often seen as a symptom of a variety of other problems. Snoring is certainly frequently present in cases of sleep apnea because the brain reacts to a drop in oxygen by awakening the sufferer enough to restart the breathing process and this often results in snoring.

This recurrent awakening during the night also results in a very poor quality of sleep and it is not at all uncommon for sleep apnea sufferers to get up in the morning feeling even more tired than they were when they went to bed. This also leads to feelings of sheer exhaustion during the day and an overwhelming need to sleep.

But, tiredness resulting from poor quality sleep is merely one part of the picture and a range of other symptoms will normally be present including morning headaches, poor memory and a problem in concentrating.

Left untreated the increasing exhaustion from sleep apnea may produce significant psychological difficulties beginning with irritability and moving on to depression with obvious changes in behavior and mood.

Both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea can be treated and, as long as the problem is diagnosed early enough, treatment is often fairly simple. For instance, a mild case of obstructive sleep apnea arising out of nasal congestion can commonly be treated with nothing more than a course of decongestants. Similarly, many cases of sleep apnea that are not too severe may be treated using a mask that is worn during sleep and that delivers a constant pressure of air in order to keep the airway open. Finally, in the most severe cases of sleep apnea surgery might be necessary and can be extremely effective, although it could also lead to several complications and must be approached with caution.

Probably the most important thing to bear in mind about sleep apnea is that because it carries with it the potentially fatal risk of respiratory failure sufferers ought not to be tempted to use sleeping pills or to take other forms of sleep enhancers without first seeking the approval of a doctor.

Natural sleep remedies certainly provide an effective complement to medically prescribed medication and herbs which are designed to improve the duration and quality of sleep may assist in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness often brought on by sleep apnea. In the same way, such things as aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help in reducing the anxiety and insomnia that go together with sleep apnea.

Help-Me-To-Sleep.com looks in detail at sleep apnea symptoms and also at sleep apnea in children