Sleep apena is a serious sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring and pauses in breathing that lasts for 10 seconds or more. What follows is reduced oxygen in the brain. Once the
brain realizes it is not getting enough oxygen, it tells the body to wake up in order to breathe. This usually happens between 5 to 30 times an hour for mild cases. For severe cases, the attacks occur for over a hundred times a night. Thus, sufferers cannot go into a deep sleep and often wakes up feeling exhausted and with a headache.
Sleep apena is a deadly disorder that can affect men, women, and children. It affects all age groups but is most common in men. If left untreated, it could lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and even death.
Types of sleep apena
The three types of sleep apena are: Obstructive, Central and Complex.
Obstructive sleep apena is the most common. It is caused by an obstruction in the air passages usually due to nasal or throat blockage. People born with small jaws, and large tonsils and palate usually have problems breathing during sleep. The enlarged tissue relaxes while asleep then blocks the air passages, obstructing the normal flow of air. This causes the pauses in breathing while asleep.
Central sleep apena is the failure of the brain to send signals to the body to breathe while asleep. Severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea are often the consequence of central sleep apena. Sometimes, when obstructive sleep apena has already been treated, the apena attacks still occur, which is usually a sign of central apena.
Complex sleep apena is the combination of both obstructive and central sleep apena.
The denial stage
Some 18 million people in America, 15 million in the United Kingdom, 
and millions more all over the world suffer from sleep apena. With these alarming numbers, you would wonder why people do not seek treatment. One characteristic of this disorder is that people who suffer from it do not even know they snore when asleep. Usually, people around them tell them that they snore. In most cases, they do not believe it and undergo a denial stage. When told that they snore really loud, most likely they would say something like “No, I don’t!” It takes several confirmations from other people before the truth sinks in.
Notice the misspelling of “apena” on this page. Yes, we put it there on purpose. While many people misspell this word due to the language difference while searching for information, it only proves that this disorder is being suffered by millions of people across the globe. Misspelled or not, we want as many people to land on information that would help them understand this disorder.
That said, may we now give you the correct term, which is “apnea.” The word apnea came from the Greek word apnoia, which means “without breath.” In British English, it is spelled “apnoea.”
Sounding the alarm
If this disorder remains undiagnosed, it can be pretty alarming. You could be having the symptoms for years and you do not even know it. Early detection of sleep apena is very important. If you or a loved one whom you suspect to have this disorder still refuses to be diagnosed, then you better start worrying. Getting diagnosed on time can help save you from further health complications, such as stroke. What is alarming is that the symptoms are very tricky. Not all people who show symptoms may have it.
Symptoms of sleep apena
People with sleep apena often show symptoms of morning headaches; feel extremely sleepy in the daytime; and feels exhausted, irritable, forgetful and clumsy. They often have a hard time concentrating, mostly feel sleepy during conversations and struggle to stay awake while driving.
However, not all people who snore, feel excessively sleepy, and are exhausted during daytime have this disorder. Sleep apena sufferers usually have all of these symptoms. The smartest and surest way to confirm this is to seek the help of a specialist or get diagnosed in a sleep clinic.
Getting treated
Consult your primary doctor about your condition. Your doctor might refer you to a sleep specialist or a sleep clinic for further diagnosis. It would be wise to first check with your insurance if it covers these procedures because it can be very costly.
One of the most effective equipments used to prevent apena attacks is a machine called continuous positive airway pressure (cpap) machine. This is especially helpful for people with obstructive sleep apena. The machine comes with a cpap mask, which is one of the most critical part of the machine. However, before purchasing your cpap mask, it would be best to read several cpap mask reviews in order to know the best type for you.
If you suspect you have sleep apena, do not think twice about getting diagnosed. The earlier it is detected, the more you could prevent health complications from developing.
same reason that not all people who experience fatigue has this disorder. Here are some common signs that you might be at risk:
