What is
sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you’re asleep. These pauses in breathing can last from a few seconds to over a minute and may happen dozens (or even hundreds) of times per night.
Because your body isn’t getting consistent oxygen, your brain briefly wakes you up to restart breathing — often without you realizing it. This leads to poor-quality, fragmented sleep.
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): The most common type.
Your throat muscles relax too much during sleep, causing the airway to partially or completely collapse.
2. Central Sleep Apnea
Your brain doesn’t properly signal your muscles to breathe.
3. Complex Sleep Apnea
A combination of obstructive and central types.
At our office, we specifically treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Mild to moderate cases!
Types of sleep apnea
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
In order to diagnose sleep apnea, you must undergo a sleep study. A sleep study is a medical test that monitors your body while you sleep to diagnose conditions like sleep apnea.
It measures things like your breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate, and brain activity to see what happens during the night.
It is important to properly diagnose sleep apnea to determine if you have mild, moderate, or severe apnea. This will guide treatment decisions.
facts
1. Sleep apnea is common.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects millions of adults in the U.S., and many cases go undiagnosed.
2. It can increase your risk for serious health problems.
Untreated sleep apnea is linked to:
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High blood pressure
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Heart disease
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Stroke
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Type 2 diabetes
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Memory and concentration problems
3. Snoring can be a warning sign.
Loud, chronic snoring — especially with gasping or choking — may indicate sleep apnea.
4. You don’t have to be overweight to have it.
While excess weight increases risk, thin individuals and even children can have sleep apnea.
5. There are alternatives to CPAP.
While Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is common, mild to moderate cases can often be treated with a mandibular advancement device (oral appliance) — a quieter, more comfortable alternative for many patients.
6. A sleep study is required for diagnosis.
Diagnosis is confirmed through an in-lab or at-home sleep study.
Common Symptoms
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Loud snoring
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Gasping or choking during sleep
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Waking up with a dry mouth
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Morning headaches
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Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
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Difficulty concentrating
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Irritability
Many people don’t realize they have it — often a bed partner notices first.
Untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of:
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High blood pressure
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Heart disease
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Stroke
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Diabetes
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Weight gain
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Depression
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Accidents due to daytime sleepiness
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Cognitive deficits
MYTHS
Myth #1:
“It’s just snoring.”
Snoring is a symptom — sleep apnea involves repeated pauses in breathing that reduce oxygen levels.
Myth #2:
“If I don’t feel tired, I don’t have sleep apnea.”
Some patients don’t notice daytime sleepiness but still have significant apnea.
Myth #3:
“CPAP is the only treatment.”
Not true. Oral appliances, weight management, positional therapy, and sometimes surgery are options depending on severity.
Myth #4:
“Only older men get sleep apnea.”
Women, especially after menopause, are also at increased risk.
Myth #5: “It’s not dangerous.”
Untreated sleep apnea increases cardiovascular risk and accident risk due to fatigue.