Sleep Apnea Is A Widespread and Sometimes Dangerous Sleeping Disorder

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Sleep apnea is perhaps the most commonly seen sleep disorder and affects approximately 18 million Americans. A sleep disorder characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is also undeniably the most dangerous of sleeping disorders because it starves the brain of crucial oxygen and sometimes proves fatal.

There are two quite distinct forms of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is basically a neurological disorder in which the breathing is broken as a result of signals sent from the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea by contrast is in effect a mechanical problem in which the windpipe is blocked either by excessive tissue or as a result of the abnormal relaxation or collapse of muscle tissue in and around the windpipe. In both cases however the results are essentially identical with numerous interruptions to the breathing which starve the brain of oxygen and place sufferers at heightened risk from such things as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Unfortunately, diagnosing sleep apnea can be difficult because snoring, which is a common symptom and often results in sleep apnea being known as the snoring disease, is also commonly seen as a symptom of many medical conditions. Snoring is certainly generally seen in cases of sleep apnea as the brain responds to a drop in oxygen by waking the sufferer enough to restart the breathing process and this usually leads to snoring.

This regular awakening through the night also causes a very poor quality of sleep and it is fairly common for sleep apnea sufferers to get up in the morning feeling more tired than when they went to bed. This also leads to a feeling of exhaustion during the course of the day and a great need to sleep.

However, tiredness arising from poor quality sleep is only one part of the problem and various other symptoms will also generally be present including morning headaches, poor memory and a problem in concentrating.

Without treatment the growing exhaustion from sleep apnea may produce major psychological difficulties starting with touchiness and progressing to depression with obvious changes in both mood and behavior.

Both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea are treatable and, providing the problem is diagnosed early enough, this treatment is often relatively simple. For instance, mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea resulting from nasal congestion can often be treated with little more than decongestants. Likewise, a lot of cases of sleep apnea that are not especially serious can be treated using a mask which is worn during sleep and that delivers air at a constant pressure to keep the airway open. Lastly, in the most severe cases surgery might be necessary and can be very effective, although it may also produce some complications and must be considered with caution.

Probably the most important thing to bear in mind when treating sleep apnea is that as it carries the potential risk of respiratory failure sufferers should not be tempted to take sleeping pills or to take other types of artificial sleep enhancers without the approval of a doctor.

Natural sleep remedies can without question provide an effective complement to medically prescribed medicines and herbal remedies which are intended to improve both the duration and quality of sleep may assist in managing the excessive daytime sleepiness normally brought on by sleep apnea. Also, things like aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help to combat the insomnia and anxiety that come with sleep apnea.