Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the softer tissues of the upper airway collapse and close off the airway. A relatively small collapse can cause snoring and generally increases the required breathing effort.

­Full closure of the airway may prevent breathing for extended periods and lead to significant drops in the blood oxygen supply, or hypoxia. The brain detects the hazardous state and temporarily wakes up, allowing you to gasp for air. These arousal's are generally too short for one to remember in the morning, but their effects are profound. Fragmented sleep and intermittent hypoxia can have serious consequences if left untreated.

How are Sleep Apnea and Diabetes Linked?

A number of causal pathways have been proposed that may describe how sleep apnea influences insulin resistance. The physiological stress of sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxia puts strain on a number of different metabolic pathways, all of which may lead to glucose intolerance and Type 2 Diabetes. For example, researchers have proposed that sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxia might lead to a dysregulation of Insulin production by Pancreatic Beta (β) Cells - the cause for Type 2 Diabetes.

• Waking Up Refreshed
• Linked to Chronic Disease
• Sleep Apnea
• Affecting the Immune System