Sleep Disorders

Sleep-related breathing disorders are conditions of abnormal and difficult respiration during sleep, including chronic snoring and sleep apnea. Some sleep-related breathing disorders have limited health impact, but others can have serious consequences because of their potential effects on sleep and the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common and serious sleep-related breathing disorders. In OSA, the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing lapses in breathing that both fragment sleep and affect the body’s oxygen levels. Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a milder form of OSA in which sleep is disrupted but oxygen levels are not affected to the same degree.

Snoring occurs when air moves around floppy tissue near the back of the throat and causes that tissue to vibrate.

Another option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. CPAP is more reliably effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances might be easier to use. Some are designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep Breathing Disorders – Sleep Education

http://sleepeducation.org › sleep-disorders-by-category