Sleep Apnea

From WebMD

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea occurs when you regularly stop breathing for 10
seconds or longer during sleep. It can be mild, moderate, or
severe, depending on the number of times in an hour that your
breathing stops (apnea) or becomes very slow (hypopnea). Apnea
episodes may occur from 5 to 50 times an hour.

There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea,
central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. This topic focuses
on obstructive sleep apnea, which is also called OSA or simply
sleep apnea.

What causes obstructive sleep apnea?

A blockage or narrowing of the airways in your nose, mouth, or
throat generally causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This
usually occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during
sleep and partially block the airway.

Sleep apnea can also occur if you have bone deformities or
larger than normal tissues in your nose, mouth, or throat. For
example, you may have large tonsils. During the day when you
are awake and standing up, this may not cause problems.
However, when you lie down at night, your tonsils can press down
on your airway, narrowing it and causing sleep apnea.

Other factors that make sleep apnea more likely include being
obese, using certain medicines or alcohol before bed, and
sleeping on your back.