To begin with, sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that blocks the airways in the lungs and disrupts breathing when a person is asleep.  It is usually caused by obesity, smoking, nasal congestion, or a history of sleep apnea in the family.

Most people are not aware that they have this sleeping disorder until they consult their doctors.  There are usual sleep apnea cures such as losing weight and eliminating the intake of alcohol, the use of tobacco and other sedatives.

Another treatment for sleep apnea involves a device is the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).  It is similar to a mask that the person wears; this provides pressurized air while sleeping.  This device is said to be usually effective when used properly.  To make sure it will work effectively, seek help from the doctor when you obtain and wear the device.

Another popular cure for sleep apnea is the use of dental appliances.  These are also worn during sleeping to open the airways on your mouth.  The mandibular repositioning device adjusts the position of your lower jaw, while the tongue retaining device adjusts the position of your tongue.  To avoid dental problems while wearing these devices, make sure that these are perfectly fitted to you with the help of a dentist who specializes in sleep apnea.

Some cases of sleep apnea can only be cured through surgery.  These procedures should be done to increase the size of airways when you sleep.  The surgeon usually removes tissues depending on where airways are blocked: tonsils, excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose.

The cure for sleep apnea really depends on the situation or how severe the sleeping disorder is.  To know the best and most comfortable treatment for your case, discuss it with your physician and go for an endoscopy of your mouth, nose and throat.

Sleeping is an important body function, but even so, more and more people fail to give the body their due rest and proper care especially after a hard day’s work. Lack of nutrition and excessive abuse of the body are some of the factors that can result to different sleep disorders. The following are the three most common types of this disorder.

Insomnia. Some people find it hard to fall into dreamland even when there are no interruptions or distractions before and while already in bed. This inability to sleep affects close to 70 million people in the US alone and affects more women than men. There are different types of insomnia, depending on the duration of the difficulty in sleeping. This sleep disorder is caused by factors such as psychoactive drugs and stimulants, hormonal changes, mental or neurological disorders, other medical conditions, abnormal sleeping patterns and poor sleep hygiene, and parasomia.

Restless Leg Syndrome. Characterized by restlessness caused by odd sensations in parts of the body, more commonly in the legs, the RLS keeps its sufferers awake during the nights and depriving them of sleep. People sometimes think that it is a natural sensation or if they know about the condition, would tend to ignore it. RLS is a sleep disorder usually associated with other diseases such as iron deficiency, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and another type of disorder called sleep apnea. It can also be acquired through the genes passed on.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Obstruction in the airway can cause sleep apnea, another type of disorder in sleep. The blockage of the airflow happens when the muscles behind the throat – along the path of air – relax and results to inadequate blood oxygen supply and causes your sleep to be interrupted abnormally.

Once you have difficulty in sleeping, especially if it shows a pattern on a regular basis, you should consult a doctor and avoid self-medication or inattention to the symptoms. Sleep disorders, aside from being highly uncomfortable, may lead to other disorders as well.

Two types of this disorder are common, the obstructive and the central sleep apnea; although there are times some people experience both in a disorder called complex sleep apnea. The symptoms and warning signs made by the body for both types are generally as follows: hypersomia or excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, repeated occurrence of cessation in breathing while asleep with which gives the feeling of breathlessness when suddenly awakened, dry mouth or sore throat upon waking, and insomnia or the inability to acquire or maintain sleep. It has been common for people to think that their snoring is just a manifestation of fatigue, what they don’t know is that this loud sound, when accompanied by the other symptoms of sleep apnea, can be dangerous to their health.

Another determinant of this disorder is the feeling of dissatisfaction and tiredness even after a full night’s sleep. Inattention to the symptoms of sleep apnea can lead to cardiovascular problems, can affect your productivity and daytime activities, and can complicate medications and surgery since the body is unable to get the rest it requires. Consult a doctor even if you only meet one or two of the symptoms and prevent further health risks in the future.

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder sleep that interrupts with a person’s breathing while he is asleep, by blocking the smooth airways in the lungs.  Some probable causes of sleep apnea are obesity, smoking, nasal congestion, or a history in the family.  Symptoms could be loud snoring, sudden awakenings at night and daytime drowsiness and sleepiness.

If you have the symptoms stated above, but are not sure whether its sleep apnea or a different sleeping disorder, then maybe it’s time that you undergo a test called polysomnography (PSG).  It is the most commonly used test to diagnose sleep apnea.  It determines how severe the illness is, and assesses other sleeping disorders than comes with or without sleep apnea.

The procedure involves a simultaneous recording of multiple physiologic parameters that is related to sleep and wakefulness.  To fully determine if the sleeping disorder is sleep apnea, PSG goes through three different studies: electroencephalography (EEG) is used to identify sleep stage, latency and arousals;   electrooculography (EOG) is used to monitor eye movement – rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and slow eye movement that accompanies the onset of sleep; the surface electromyography (EMG) records atonia or sleep paralysis in patients.  Other factors that can be monitored by PSG include nasal and/or oral airflow, sound recordings to measure snoring, continuous video monitoring of body positions, and core body temperature.

One night under PSG is usually enough to find out if the patient has sleep apnea and the degree of the sleeping disorder, but sometimes, sporadic events can not be explained by an overnight result; therefore, a multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) should be performed the next day.

Almost everyone snores, at some time or another – even infants and pets! Snoring is a vibration of the throat and nasal tissue that occurs because of a narrowed air passage. The causes of snoring include poor sleep positioning and also abnormalities, or an excessiveness, in the throat’s soft tissue.

In contrast, sleep apnea is an actual cessation of breathing during sleep. A person may stop breathing hundreds of times per night, without even being aware of the problem. Although loud snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, other symptoms include the actual stopping of breathing, gasping for air to begin breathing again, night sweats, sore throat, dryness of the mouth, and headaches in the morning, and daytime drowsiness.

Our website will share with you the causes of sleep apnea. In addition, you’ll find some of the most effective self-help tips as well as medical treatments available for both sleep apnea and snoring that can help you regain a restful night’s sleep.