What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea is a disorder that occurs during sleep. It is when throat and airway muscles relax and tissues in the upper airway collapse, resulting in snoring or halted breathing. A complete collapse, blocking all air to the lungs, is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The brain detects this hazardous state and arouses the person to gasp for air. Often times the person does not remember these nocturnal awakenings. These episodes can last several seconds and cause drops in blood oxygen supply, arousing a person from sleep and disrupting the sleep cycle. This cycle can continuously repeat all throughout the night and significanly reduce sleep quality leading to daytime sleepiness.