The Hidden Nighttime Killer: Understanding Sleep Apnea

Lydia K
May 28
4 min read

Do you wake up feeling exhausted no matter how long you sleep? Have people told you that you snore loudly or gasp for air at night? If so, you might be suffering from sleep apnea—a silent sleep disorder that could be damaging your health without you even knowing it. Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This happens because the airway collapses, reducing oxygen intake, or due to the brain failing to send proper breathing signals. Left untreated, it can lead to poor sleep quality, extreme fatigue, and severe health risks such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Despite how common it is, sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed because many people don’t recognize the symptoms or don’t associate their daytime exhaustion with their nighttime breathing patterns. While mild cases may be improved through lifestyle changes, severe cases may require medical or surgical treatment.

Understanding sleep apnea is the first step in taking control of your health. So, let’s dive into what it is, why it’s dangerous, and how you can recognize and treat it.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Apnea is medically defined as the absence of breathing for at least 10 seconds. Sleep apnea is classified into three types:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – The most common type, caused by the physical blockage of the airway when throat muscles relax.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – A neurological disorder where the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Mixed Apnea – A combination of OSA and CSA, where an episode starts as central apnea and transitions into obstructive apnea.

Why is Sleep Apnea Dangerous?

Many people think snoring or restless sleep is harmless, but untreated sleep apnea can lead to severe health complications, including:

Cardiovascular Disease – OSA increases the risk of heart failure by 140%, strokes by 60%, and coronary heart disease by 30%. Studies show that around 38,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are linked to heart disease with sleep apnea as a contributing factor.
High Blood Pressure – The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study found that 36.7% of OSA patients developed cardiovascular disease compared to only 6.6% of individuals without OSA.
Daytime Fatigue & Accidents – Poor sleep quality leads to drowsiness, making it difficult to focus and increasing the risk of car and workplace accidents.
Metabolic Issues – Disruptions in sleep affect the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing the risk of diabetes and obesity.
Mental Health Problems – People with sleep apnea are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and memory problems.

Who is at Risk?

Studies show that men are more likely to have OSA than women. In North America, approximately 15-30% of men and 10-15% of women have obstructive sleep apnea. The global prevalence of mild to severe OSA in people aged 30-69 is estimated to be 936 million. Compared to OSA, CSA is far less common, affecting around 3 million people in the U.S.

How Do You Know If You Have Sleep Apnea?

Common signs and symptoms include:

Loud snoring
Gasping or choking during sleep
Waking up with a dry mouth or headache
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Difficulty concentrating or irritability
Insomnia or restless sleep

If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor for an evaluation.

How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

Traditional sleep studies, such as polysomnography, require overnight monitoring in a sleep lab, where various physiological signals—including breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and brain activity—are recorded and analyzed by specialists. While this method is highly accurate, it can be time-consuming and costly.

In recent years, at-home sleep testing has become a more accessible alternative, allowing individuals to monitor their peripheral arterial tone (PAT), blood oxygen level, motor activity, body position, snoring, true sleep time, and sleep architecture in real time while sleeping in their own beds. These tests can provide valuable data for healthcare providers, though professional interpretation is still required for an accurate diagnosis.

Additionally, advances in technology have introduced new methods for detecting sleep apnea using AI and data-driven approaches. Machine learning models, trained on physiological signals such as heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and breathing patterns, have shown promising accuracy in identifying sleep apnea. These techniques offer potential for faster and more cost-effective screenings, though they are still being refined for widespread clinical use.

What Are the Treatment Options?

Thankfully, sleep apnea is treatable. Solutions include:

Lifestyle Changes – Losing weight, avoiding alcohol before bed, and sleeping on your side can reduce symptoms.
(Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) – This device keeps the airway open with a steady stream of air.
Oral Appliances – Custom-fitted mouthpieces help position the jaw to keep the airway open.
Surgery – In severe cases, procedures to remove excess tissue or reposition the jaw may be necessary.

Take Control of Your Sleep Health

Sleep apnea doesn’t just impact sleep—it affects overall health, daily energy levels, and even lifespan. If you or someone you know has symptoms, don’t ignore them. Talk to a healthcare provider and take steps to reclaim restful sleep and better health.

A good night’s sleep isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity for a healthy life!

Sources:

“Sleepapnea-Symptomsandcauses-MayoClinic.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-203776 31.

CDC,“KeySleepDisorders-SleepandSleepDisorders,”Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sep. 13, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/key_disorders.html.

E. Shahar et al., “Sleep-disordered Breathing and Cardiovascular Disease,” Am. J. Respir.

Crit. Care Med., vol. 163, no. 1, pp. 19–25, Jan. 2001, doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.163.1.2001008.

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board