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Most Common Sleep Disorder: Sleep Apnea
You may assume there's only one kind of sleep apnea, but if you read the article below, you will find another type.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a serious sleep disorder that happens when a person's breathing is interrupted during his/her sleep. When Sleep Apnea is left untreated, it could cause a person to stop breathing repeatedly (sometimes up to a hundred times) during sleep.
What are the two common types of sleep apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- More common
- The patient's brain fails to inform the muscles involved in breathing to function properly.
Central Sleep Apnea
- The whole or a part of the airway is blocked.
- Can be caused by a number of conditions that affect the ability of your brainstem.
Note: There is a third type, called complex sleep apnea which is still currently being studied by experts.
What are the Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
- Loud snoring
- Headaches
- Dry Mouth
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Short attention span
- Difficulty in breathing during sleep
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
- Fatigue
Note: Not everyone who suffers from sleep apnea experiences these symptoms; in some cases, there are no evident overt symptoms that manifest. Thus, the best way to confirm if you have Sleep Apnea is to undergo a complete sleep study.