About sleep apnoea
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What is Sleep Apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than normal. Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and can happen many times a night. There are four main types of sleep apnoea:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) – is a respiratory illness and the most common type, where the upper airway is narrow or has become blocked due to being obese or overweight
- Central Sleep Apnoea (CSA) is an uncommon neurological illness, where the brain does not signal the respiratory muscles to breathe.
- Mixed Sleep Apnoea is a combination of OSA and CSA.
- Obesity Hypoventilation.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
People with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) are unable to sleep properly. Their sleep is constantly disrupted by snoring and obstructed breathing to the extent that they briefly stop breathing. This can happen several hundred times each night. Sufferers often fall asleep during the day even whilst...
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