Bad Sleep and Sleep Disorders: Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

There are a range of sleep disorders that can affect your sleep and impact your health – and your partner. This series will look at these disorders in more depth, starting off with snoring and sleep apnoea.

Snoring occurs when an individual’s airway is obstructed while sleeping, resulting in vibrations of the respiratory tract. It’s easy to brush off snoring as normal and nothing to worry about, but it may indicate a sleep disorder that is much more harmful, such as sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea occurs when the individual stops breathing for several seconds. It can be further classified into two types: obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and central sleep apnoea (CSA). Of the two, OSA is most common. It is caused when the airway is obstructed or collapsed. CSA, on the other hand, occurs when the brain fails to send signals to stimulate breathing. Either way, your body responds to the lack of oxygen by waking up to gasp for air. Once the airway is clear, you fall back to sleep.

Symptoms of sleep apnoea include waking with a dry mouth or sore throat, daytime tiredness, headaches and difficulty concentrating. Long-term effects include raised blood pressure, irritability and depression.

Although snoring and sleep apnoea often go hand in hand, some people may suffer from one but not the other. It is important to have a sleep study done to assess the full extent of snoring and sleep apnoea.

Contact Aer Healthcare today for further information.