What causes a person to stop breathing while they are sleeping?

Answer 1

Sleep apnea is usually caused by the epiglottis falling down and covering the glottic opening during sleep.

Answer 2

It could probably be sleep apnea. People with this condition can stop breathing hundreds of times an hour. It caused when the airway closes. If the person is a heavy snorer and all of a sudden stops, they could have sleep apnea. It can be deadly so get it checked out with a sleep disorders clinic (there are lots of them around). It can be fixed by using a machine called a C-PAP (continuous positive air pressure) which fits over the nose or sometimes by surgery.

Answer 3

It's called sleep apnea. Apnea is just another word for not breathing. It's caused by the soft palate collapsing and blocking the airway. You can do a sleep study at a large hospital and get a CPAP prescribed for you. This stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and you wear a mask with a tube attached to a machine which blows air into your nose and the pressure of the air keeps your airway open and prevents you from not breathing. If this is happening to you, get help for this because sleep apnea is associated with many poor health conditions and some of them are life threatening. It can damage your heart muscle for starters. You can imagine what it does if you think about the lack of oxygen your body and all your organs are receiving. Good luck.

Answer 4

I had a conversation with my doctor about sleep apnea just this past week.

It happens (as others have explained) when tissues relax and block the air passages while one is asleep. Your brain actually wakes up in order to restore the air flow. Let this happen several dozen -- or several hundred -- times during an evening, and you see why folks who suffer from sleep apnea usually complain that they are tired all the time. Although they have slept, the brain has been awake -- and is still tired.

My doctor tells me that the best first-line treatment is exercise. Many folks who experience sleep apnea are overweight -- and losing the weight usually helps the condition.

In any case, this is something you should discuss with a doctor. He or she may ask you to do a sleep study (which basically involves spending a night in a lab, sleeping with a bunch of sensors hooked up to your body). After the sleep study is completed, your doctor will suggest what you need to do. This could be anything, ranging from nothing -- to simple exercise -- to using one of those positive airflow devices.

Answer 5

I agree with most of the comments about obstructive sleep apnea. In children it can be caused by enlarged adenoids, sometimes enlarged tonsils.

As Americans become fatter, physicians are seeing more cases of obstructive sleep apnea. Fat accumulation beneath the throat tissue is a major cause, as obstructive sleep apnea is more common in overweight individuals. Many affected persons should consider a weight loss regimen as part of thier treatment.

Central sleep apnea is much less common, It is caused by a malfunction of part of the brain, the thalamus, that regulates breathing, or disruption of nerves to the various muscles of respiration. Central sleep apnea may be caused by strokes, encephalitis, degenerative diseases, or by surgery or radiation on or near the cervical spine.

Persons suspected of having sleep apnea should undergo a sleep study, usually involving a polysomnogram. It is a painless, non-invasive test that measures a variety of body functions such as heart rate, brain wave activity, eyelid muscle activity, muscle tone, oxygen saturation, etc. You may also be videotaped to assess your movement during sleep.

Answer 6

It is called sleep apnea and is caused by a blockage in the airway by the fatty tissue in the throat. I bet you're a snorer, too, aren't you.
Go to a sleep clinic to make sure and a possibility of a cure is called a c-pap machine. It forces air into your lungs and disrupts the blockage. Pretty nasty thing to sleep with I heard.
Best idea is to see a doctor because I'm thinking you're probably overweight as well as a snorer.

Answer 7

sleep apnea is normally the cause of breathing problems during sleep. My father in law has it and it can be very serious. You should speak to your doctor immidiatly to have a sleep study done. There is an effective treatment. Good luck.

Answer 8

yes. Sleep apnea I think.

Answer 9

To many double cheese burgers when they were growing up.