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Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea (also called OSA or obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome) is a serious breathing problem that interrupts your sleep.

OSA means you have short pauses in your breathing when you sleep. These breathing pauses (called apneas or apnea events) can last for 10 to 30 seconds, maybe longer. People with OSA can stop breathing dozens or hundreds of times each night, leading to sleep disruption and low oxygen levels in the body.

OSA prevents you from having the restful sleep you need to stay healthy. If it’s not treated, sleep apnea can lead to daytime sleepiness and reduced cognitive function. People with untreated OSA have an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and early death. Thankfully, there are excellent treatments for obstructive sleep apnea.

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1 of every 5 adults has at least a mild form of sleep apnea (20%)
1 of every 15 adults has at least moderate sleep apnea (6.6%)
2 to 3% of children are likely to have sleep apnea
Over 1 in 4 (26%) Canadian adults have a high risk of having or developing obstructive sleep apnea.​

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Day symptoms

  • Fatigue, lack of energy

  • Depression, mood changes

  • Excessive sleepiness

  • Headaches upon waking

  • Trouble focusing during the day.

  • Hypertension

  • Decreased interest in sex.​

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Night symptoms

  • Snoring

  • Breathing stops during sleep

  • Frequent awakenings

  • Feeling of suffocation

  • Frequently getting up to urinate

  • Night sweats

  • Insomnia

Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain forgets to tell your muscles that you need to breathe. Your throat and airway are normal- it’s your brain that has the trouble. Central sleep apnea is not as common as obstructive sleep apnea. Often people with central sleep apnea have another medical condition, such as heart failure. Treating their other medical condition can improve the central sleep apnea. Some newer devices may improve central sleep apnea.

Symptoms

  • Breathing pauses during sleep (observed by partner)

  • Sudden awakenings, often accompanied by shortness of breath

  • Insomnia or difficulty staying asleep

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness

  • Morning headaches

  • Mood changes or irritability

  • Difficulty concentrating

Mixed sleep apnea

It is possible to have both obstructive and central sleep apnea, which is called mixed sleep apnea. Each episode usually begins when your brain forgets to tell your muscles that you need to breathe (central sleep apnea). Then your body tries to breathe, but the airway is blocked (obstructive sleep apnea).

Sleep-hypoventilation syndrome

Someone with sleep-hypoventilation syndrome doesn’t breathe enough during the day and night to take in the oxygen they need. Hypoventiation means to breathe less than is necessary to keep the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood normal. Sleep hypoventilation is linked to obesity.

The first choice of treatment for sleep-hypoventilation syndrome is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). If a person’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels don’t improve with CPAP, the doctor will recommend a more sophisticated machine, like a bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine.

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