Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where the sleeper stops breathing during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times an hour, often for a minute or longer. This sleep stop is called an "apnea." With obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type, the back of the throat closes down cutting off breath during sleep causing snoring, choking and gasping. Sleep apnea is often undiagnosed because it is frequently confused with traditional snoring; however, if left untreated, these disruptions in the sleep cycle can cause major issues such as:

• Elevated blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Cardiovascular disease
• Memory loss
• Headaches
• Extreme daytime sleepiness
• Falling asleep while working or driving

Over 12 million American adults have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea:

• One out of every 25 middle-aged men
• One out of every 50 middle-aged women
• One out of every 10 people over the age of 65

Finding the Right Information

LoveToKnow Sleep can help you find the information you need to determine if you or a loved one should be tested for sleep apnea. Whether you are looking for information on sleep apnea symptoms or treatment options, you'll find informative articles from sleep disorder researchers and experts.

Living Well With Sleep Apnea

There are many options for treating sleep apnea including various types of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and masks, oral devices and surgery. Informative articles on all of these options can help you decide which actions you need to take to live well with sleep apnea. LoveToKnow Sleep provides tips on which CPAP machines and masks to consider, ways to adapt your environment to improve your sleep and ideas on how you can improve your sleep apnea treatment process such as special bed pillows to add to your comfort and CPAP accessories to help you improve your sleep experience.