what is sleep apnoea, how does it affect, do you wake up unrefresehed. can anything be done?

Answer 1

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where you wake up for a second or two literally hundreds of times a night. What happens is you stop breathing for some reason, and your brain kicks you awake as if to say "Hey! Start breathing again!" There are all kinds of reasons why people have it. Being overweight is the most common, and the second most common is narrow breathing passages (which is caused by genetics -- nothing that can be done about that). To find out if you have it, you'd have to see your primary care physician, get a referral to a sleep specialist, and have them do a sleep study on you.

The preferred treatment is a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machine. It literally forces air into your lungs and somehow is able to keep you breathing. You have to wear a mask over your nose (and mouth, in some cases), so it's not very comfortable, but you get used to it. Some people with mild sleep apnea can wear an oral appliance that pulls the lower jaw forward and opens the airway a little more. Surgery is the last option -- taking out tonsils and/or jaw realignment surgery can solve the problem.

Personally, I'll take the CPAP machine because I'm used to mine and I know it works.

Answer 2

Sleep apnea is where something blocks your air passage ways while you sleep, unable to breath, the person gasps for breath and interrupts sleep. It may be serious enough the person may wake up as well. As a result of improper REM sleep, the body is not fully refreshed.

Solutions:

1. Losing weight may help.
2. Avoid alcohol and smoking.
3. Sleep on your side.
4. If those don't work, consult with a doctor for other options such as a CPAP machine to maintain positive air pressure to prevent closure of the air passageways or even surgery.

Answer 3

sleep apnea occurs when the soft palate falls across the airway during sleep, lack of oxygen forces the brain to wake you up enough to gasp and draw in air, the result being that you never get into deep REM sleep and you tend to be exhausted all the time. Most people are not aware that they have sleep apnea, someone has to tell them they do, or they have a sleep study that proves they do. There are many effective treatments available for sleep apnea, see a pulmonologist to discuss diagnosis and treatment.

Answer 4

yes it makes you feel like you barely sleept, you might have a head ache, be irratable
its when you stop breathing for a few or mor seconds while you sleep, 20 or more times per night you dont even know you do it
there is a machine you can get that pushes air into your nose as you sleep ...well it breaths with you...it takes some getting used to...you have to go for a sleep stidy first to be diagnosed as hving sleep apnia...then you go back to sleep over again so they know how much air pressure the machine will need...they figue that out while you sleep
there are also pills and surgery
you have to tell your doctor so you can get a referal to a sleep clinic

good luck