Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder in which your breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to the blockage of the upper airways. These pauses in breathing interrupt your sleep, leading to many awakenings each hour. While most people with sleep apnoea don’t remember these awakenings, they might feel exhausted during the day, irritable and depressed, or see a decrease in productivity.
Sleep apnoea is a serious, and potentially life-threatening, sleep disorder.
Symptoms of sleep apnoea include:
- Loud, chronic snoring
- Frequent pauses in breathing during sleep
- Gasping, snorting, or choking during sleep
- Feeling exhausted after waking and sleepy during the day, no matter how much time you spent in bed
- Waking up with shortness of breath, chest pains, headaches, nasal congestion, or a dry throat
Treatment for Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea can be successfully treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), a mask-like device that delivers a stream of air while you sleep. Losing weight, elevating the head off the bed, and sleeping on your side can also help in cases of mild to moderate sleep apnoea.