Blog > This is How Sleep Apnea Ruins Your Health 2024
This is How Sleep Apnea Ruins Your Health 2024
What is Sleep Apnea?
The term ‘apnea’ refers to the obstruction in breathing. During sleep apnea, your respiratory muscles stop working for a very brief moment when you’re in deep sleep. When your brain detects the lack of oxygen, it wakes you up enough to take a deep breath.
But, how do you explain loud snoring?
While a person may snore for many reasons, it’s the most common symptom of sleep apnea. The snoring associated with sleep apnea is uncomfortable, and restricts breathing.
Once you pay attention to the symptoms, you might find out that you or a loved one is suffering from sleep apnea. It often goes misdiagnosed because doctors think you are stressed or hypertensive, thus depriving people of the treatment they need.
Prevalence of Sleep Apnea
A study of 600+ middle-aged adults in America discovered that 9% of women and 24% of men were suffering from sleep disordered-breathing. Data from various studies in the United States suggests that the prevalence of sleep apnea has increased in the past two decades.
37 million Americans have this disorder. 25 million Americans are facing serious health issues because sleep apnea is slowing down their normal body functions.
Most of these issues arise because of a busy lifestyle that challenges a person’s ability to have proper sleep.
Types of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is of three types, and each differs symptoms and causes. Let’s take a look at how common they are and which is the most dangerous of all three.
In Obstructive Sleep Apnea, your stop breathing for a little while, during your sleep. If you don’t breathe, you don’t get enough Oxygen into your body. Lack of Oxygen alerts your brain and you wake up, gasping for air.
As you start breathing again, your body returns to a normal state and you go back into slumber. Until you stop breathing again, and wake up with a shock.
Experts believe that Obstructive Sleep Apnea leads to the risk of stroke, hypertension or death.
Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of OSA include:
Morning headaches
Waking up with a dry mouth
Trouble concentrating on work/studies
Loud snoring
Excessive sleepiness during daytime
This process may repeat a few times or a dozen times during the sleep cycle. This constant disturbance causes tiredness in the body. OSA episodes during a night can range from 5 to 30.
Causes:
Your weight may have a direct relationship with OSA. Excess fat around your neck narrows your throat and obstructs the respiratory passage.
Smoking is another risky habit that preys on your health. It causes inflammation in the airways and restricts air flow to the nose.
Some people get OSA due to their body type. For example, people with narrow necks have a higher chance of getting OSA. People with an enlarged tongue also report problems of the tongue falling backwards.
Age-related muscle weakness or enlarged tonsils also disrupt smooth air flow during deep sleep. Genetic predisposition may also put you at risk for OSA.
2. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
In this type of sleep apnea, your brain does not send signals to your body to breathe. Unlike OSA where there’s a physical obstruction in airways, Central Sleep Apnea is triggered by the way your brain functions.
This kind of apnea is caused by some severe mental or physical illness. It can affect people of all ages, even newborns. It is much less common and experts believe that the number of CSA cases are 20% or even less.
Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of Central Sleep Apnea include:
Drowsiness during the day
Mood swings
Extreme tiredness
Morning headaches
Snoring (not common in CSA)
Causes:
Your gender may be the biggest risk factor for CSA. Men are more susceptible than women. Age is also a huge factor in your chances of developing CSA.
Some medical conditions can also lead to CSA, such as heart disease or brain tumor. Other life-altering health conditions like surgery or consuming opioid medicines are also a significant risk factor.
You may temporarily develop CSA if you move to a high altitude but it commonly disappears once you return.
3. Mixed Sleep Apnea (MSA)
Mayo Clinic conducted a study of 223 patients for OSA, where 15% of the subjects showed symptoms for both OSA and CSA. A patient of MSA showed signs of sleep apnea, even when they were treated.
Signs and symptoms of MSA were under consideration by experts, and most of these signs had a link with lower levels of oxygen in the lungs of patients.
Tishler, Larkin, Schluchter and Redline found out in a 2008 study that risks of OSA varied by gender. In men, weight was a risk factor for OSA while in women, age was the most important risk factor.
Scientists tried to establish in the Busselton Health Study whether sleep apnea was an all-cause mortality risk, and found out that patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea were at higher risk. Mild apnea was not associated with all-cause mortality.
According to a study from the year 2000 in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, children between the ages of 2 to 18 years showed risk factors like sinus, asthma, wheezing, and cough. These signs caused severe breathing issues during the night and contributed to sleep apnea.
Most importantly, sleep apnea has different effects on people who inherited the risk factors. It was concluded in the study that there is still much to do in this field to save children from staying undiagnosed and find better treatment for those who undergo sleep apnea.
What Type of Sleep Apnea Do You Have?
So, how do you know if you have sleep apnea, and what type of sleep apnea are your suffering from?
If you think you have sleep apnea, it is important to note the symptoms at home. Firstly, you have to alert people around you to keep an eye on your sleeping pattern. They can tell you whether you’re snoring loudly or if you stop breathing and then gasp for air in your sleep.
Keeping a journal is also helpful for your doctor speed up the diagnosis.
The most common markers of obstruction during sleep are:
Loud snoring
Gasping for air
The American Sleep Apnea Association have a bunch of resources and self-help tests on their website that can help you understand your condition better.
Diagnosis through a Medical Practitioner
If you suspect sleep apnea, visit one of the best sleep clinics near you and get help from experts there. Diagnosis is easy and may require a sleep study.
Medical history:
Before ordering any tests, your doctor will rule out any other health complications to land an accurate result.
Your doctor will need to know about your sleep habits, your lifestyle and the symptoms that are bothering you. So, it’s better to take your spouse or family member and a sleep diary if you have maintained it.
Here is what the doctor may ask you about:
The symptoms affecting you or others around you
Your family’s history of sleep apnea or other disorders
Your lifestyle, smoking or alcohol consumptions
Use of any illicit drugs
Any history of treated or untreated sleep apnea
Physical examination:
Your doctor may check your neck circumference, size and structure of your jaw, and position of your tongue to rule out or understand any physical causes for your symptoms.
Next, he can check the condition of your lungs, heart and neurological system to rule out common risk factors of apnea through physical examination.
Blood tests will also be done to check hormonal levels and their effect on the quality of your sleep.
Sleep studies:
If your doctor deems fit, he may advise a study called polysomnogram, to get a visual representation of your sleep cycle. It is ideally performed in a hospital’s sleep centre or a private clinic.
For tests, you go to a clinic and describe your condition. The technician places electrodes on your body that detect brain waves. The whole process gets recorded in the machine. The sleep expert will read this data and use it to diagnose your disorder.
The Polysomnogram is an electronic test that saves important information about your body during sleep cycle. A specialist will receive this information to analyze your sleep quality and find out the traces of apnea.
You may even have another type of breathing disorder. That’s why a Polysomnogram is effective and convenient. It involves placing surface electrodes on the body, face and chest to record signals. These touchpoints check your organs and their condition as you sleep.
Other advances tests in sleep labs include:
Electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain activity
Electrocardiogram (ECG) to see heart rate
Snore mic to record snoring levels
Nasal airflow sensors to check air flow
Electro-oculogram (EOG) to check eye movements during REM sleep
Once diagnosed, the treatment for sleep apnea is pretty easy and straightforward. Your physician will treat the root cause of your condition, depending on the type and severity of sleep apnea.
Holistic Methods for Sleep Apnea Relief
For mild conditions, your doctor will suggest some lifestyle changes for a healthy body and mind.
Smoking:
If you smoke, you will be advised to quit smoking. If you can’t battle smoking urges, you may be referred to a cardiovascular or respiratory department that can help you cope.
Weight loss:
You will be asked to lose weight to burn the fat around your throat and overall body and include healthy diet and exercise in your daily routine. Yoga is the most effective for people coping with sleep apnea. The doctor will also ask you to quit taking pills or related medicine.
Sleeping environment:
You will be suggested certain positions that help with breathing better. The environment around the room also has a huge role in the quality of your sleep. For example, the optimum temperature is 60-67 degrees.
Sleep Apnea Therapies
For moderate to severe cases of sleep apnea, lifestyle changes may not be enough. Doctors will suggest therapy to such patients to improve their sleep.
CPAP:
CPAP involves using a machine that regulates air pressure through a mask in your body. CPAP is good enough to keep the pressure on your air passage ways and keep them open throughout the night. However, some people find the machine uncomfortable, especially older adults. In this case, you should consult with your doctor to find a mask fit that is most suitable to breathe. Don’t give up on the CPAP machine in one or two uses. You just have to practice and find a fit that works best for you. Pressure changes in machine and mask weight can be altered if you still have the problem of snoring with CPAP machine.
Other breathing devices:
Many patients find other bi-level air pressure machines more suitable. These machines keep changing the airflow as you are breathing inside. Bi-level machines provide more pressure when you breathe in and less when you are breathing out. Auto-CPAP machines are also suggested to patients who need constant adjustment of air pressure during the night. Doctors also suggest oral devices to patients. These devices can keep your throat open as you sleep.
Sleep Apnea Surgery
In severe cases where a physical condition is obstructing smooth air flow, surgery is prescribed by the physician. In this case, CPAP or other therapies don’t work on the patient and fixing the physical issue is required.
Doctors try therapies for three months before opting to perform surgery on the patient. If someone suggests surgery firsthand, you should opt for a second opinion.
Various surgeries are available for sleep apnea, depending on your condition.
Nasal surgery
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
Tonsillectomy
Tracheostomy
Jaw advancement
If surgery is inevitable, discuss the types of surgery with your doctor, any side effects of it and pre requirements.
Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a condition that affects your quality of living. That’s why, it can have both short term and long term implications on your life, if left untreated.
High Blood Pressure:
Sudden loss of breathing during slumber causes low blood oxygen, and increases blood pressure. Strain on the cardiovascular system makes it weaker. This can cause chronic (lifelong) hypertension.
Loss of productivity:
Prolonged sleep apnea when left untreated can turn you into a tired and sluggish person at work. Untreated sleep apnea is involved in fatal road accidents and workplace accidents.
Diabetes:
Untreated sleep apnea, combined with obesity increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A study published in 2013 predicted that people with type 2 diabetes have a 50/50 chance of being diagnosed with sleep apnea because of high glucose and increased fatigue in the body.
Living With Sleep Apnea
Shhh… NO MO’ SNORING!
If you have been diagnosed with this condition and have received treatment, please know that it will require major lifestyle changes to adjust to the symptoms.
Firstly, you need to monitor your progress and report it to your doctor. Not all treatments work for everyone, so follow-up visits are essential to refine those treatments.
Your doctor may also want to know how you feel using a breathing device, what’s the condition of the device after regular usage and how to make the therapy least invasive. If you are a parent or a caregiver to someone with sleep apnea, you need to be in charge of monitoring the patient with responsibility.
Caring for your breathing device: If you have been prescribed an oral device or CPAP/BPAP machine, you should take care of it because you will use it daily. Make sure you refill the prescriptions in time and clean all parts of the device as mentioned in its manual. Any hygiene issues can lead to further complications for your respiratory system. It is common for the mouthpiece to cause some discomfort, but soon your mouth and facial muscles will get used to it. If the discomfort remains for a long time, talk to your physician.
Repeat study: Your doctor may call you for repeat studies to assess the reasons why the problem isn’t resolving despite the therapies and medication.
Precautions: If you require surgery for sleep apnea, your doctor may suggest medicine/diet changes before you go into surgery. Please discuss the pre-surgery precautions before the procedure with the specialist.
Post surgery: Your surgeon/doctor will tell you when you are fit to drive and work after surgery. Make sure you refrain from exhausting tasks that put pressure on the respiratory muscles, like cardio exercises, etc.
Can Your Mattress Choice Alleviate Sleep Apnea?
Lying on an uncomfortable mattress will also cause disturbance during the night. Therefore, you should buy a mattress that supports your body during the sleep cycle and does not leave you feeling stiff in the morning.
Look for the following mattress specifications:
Custom Support:
Look for a mattress that provides comfort to all parts of your body when lying down. A memory foam mattress or hybrid mattress that distributes body weight equally is ideal for you. Moreover, additional features like cooling gel and spinal alignment helps people build an ideal sleeping environment. Or, perhaps your doctor might advise you to sleep on your side.
Adjustable Base:
Mattresses on adjustable bases can be used to maintain perfect height during sleep. They help in maintaining blood flow and provide additional support to your CPAP/BPAP machine. Shop a perfect adjustable base from the nearest mattress store.
Pillow Choices for Sleep Apnea Patients:
Sleep apnea patients have to raise their head to provide constant air flow. Pillows can also be used as props to raise your upper body on the bed.
Memory Foam pillows are a good choice for sleep apnea patients. You can use two of such pillows to elevate your head. Pillows with adjustable loft support are also ideal for maintaining a perfect position when sleeping.
So, if you think you have sleep apnea, communicate it with your partner and monitor your condition for a week or more. Keep in mind that this condition has the most chances to get misdiagnosed. Don’t be afraid to ask some questions and provide accurate information to form the best diagnosis.
Shanir Kol, founder and CEO of SleePare, pioneered the “Try and Buy” model in eCommerce, enhancing mattress shopping by combining in-store trials with online purchases. Launching in 1999, his company focuses on customer satisfaction and eco-friendly practices, aiming to minimize mattress waste and expand sustainably.
Valerio was so lovely, and extremely knowledgeable about the matresses! He energetically gave us details on each bed in the showroom. There was a wide range of mattresses on display including some that were not advertised on their website, so we were glad we came in. My partner and I felt comfortable enough to try some beds together, it was a very queer friendly space and we felt confident enough to make a decision. We ended up getting a great deal on a typically expensive mattress, and he was very accommodating to our drop-off schedule. We had so much fun. 🌈❤️
Went there on 5 days ago to look for a king size mattress. Made an appointment. Read a bunch of reviews on line and went to check out the mattress that was highly recommended. Valerio helped us understand how mattresses are made and encouraged to try them. We eventually chose a different mattress to the one we went to check out. Very positive experience. Would recommend you go before committing to a mattress type based on reviews on line like NYT or Forbes ranking etc
I was warmly greeted by Fazi, who listened to my concerns about the kind of mattress. I thought I might be looking for. She cordially offered information and insights relating to my search and then spent significant time with me showing a variety of mattresses that she thought would offer me good sleep and good value. It was an A+ experience.
Malcom was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. They’re to help but also patient and let me take my time, and happy to answer all my questions. A very positive experience, and I’m looking forward to improved sleep on my new mattress!
Visited Sleepare today. Valerio helped us out purchasing mattress. He was helpful, polite, and friendly. Got the mattress that we wanted with great price. Great experience.
Great experience. Store Manager, Fazi, is very welcoming and helpful. We were given enough information and time to make a decision with no pressure whatsoever. Made a daunting effort clear and simple. Would highly recommend.
Valerio helped my wife and I find the mattress we’ve been needing for months! He walked us through every option and told us the composition of each type! We would have been lost without him! We will only ever come back here for anything we need in terms of our bedding in the future! He made the process stress free and we’re walking out with exactly what we were looking for! 10/10
I feel grateful to live in an area where a showroom like this is available. After all, a mattress is one of the most important purchases we make in our lives, and it's certainly risky making a blind buy!During my appointment, not only was I able to physically test mattresses from companies that have no brick-and-mortar locations, but the associate named Fazi was absolutely instrumental in my ultimate purchasing decision. I was very impressed with her knowledge of the mechanics behind each mattress, and ways to distinguish between whether any bed-related accessories are worth the money. Even if you're not local to NYC, I'd highly recommend visiting here for a consultation. I'm glad the word is spreading about this place!
Wow, what a fantastic experience! The best customer service of any mattress store I've ever been too, bar none. Fazi was incredibly attentive, offering excellent feedback and advice throughout the process of exploring all the various products Sleepare has to offer. I was really impressed by her attention to detail, and the patience and care she showed me as I asked many (MANY) questions! I am very much planning on buying my mattress from SleePare -- can't recommend this store enough.
I had a great experience today when I visited SleePare Mattress Store in Manhattan on West 30th made all the more wonderful by Fazi. She is so knowledgeable, helpful, patient and kind. I had done a little research about beds over the last couple of weeks, but actually trying out the mattresses in this showroom with Fazi’s knowledge about each and her suggestions for me to ponder, I feel I am better equipped to pick the right mattress for me and my problematic lumbar spine. I would and will recommend highly to anyone looking to buy a mattress to go to SleePare. Thank you SleePare and Fazi!
I had a fantastic experience here. Had an evening appointment and the salesman, Valerio, spent 40 minutes with me explaining the differences between mattresses in great detail. He guided me to a choice that was both extremely comfortable and also not at the top end of my budget range. And he didn't even try to get me to buy something at the super high end. I didn't think I was going to make a purchase right on the spot, but he instilled so much confidence and comfort in the process that I walked out of the store having ordered my new mattress. Fantastic experience, thanks to Valerio!
I recently visited Sleepare for the second time to shop for a new mattress, and Valerio made the experience truly exceptional. From the moment I walked in, he was friendly, attentive, and genuinely interested in helping me find the perfect mattress for my needs.Valerio was incredibly knowledgeable, explaining the differences between various types of mattresses, firmness levels, and materials in a way that was easy to understand. He took the time to ask about my sleeping habits and preferences, ensuring their recommendations were tailored to me.What really stood out was he’s patiencethere was no pressure to rush or make a decision. He encouraged me to take my time testing out different options and answered all my questions thoroughly.Thanks to Valerio, I found a mattress that feels perfect, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. If you’re shopping for a mattress, I highly recommend working with Valerio he truly care about customers and go above and beyond to provide excellent service!
We walked in today at Sleepare in nyc and were greeted by Malcom. We told him what we were looking for (a good quality mattress that helps support hip injuries, is comfortable for back and side sleepers and is not too soft) and although we came in with a Dream Cloud, as soon as we laid on it we didn’t like how much we sunk in. We ended up lovingggg the Helix Dawn which to our surprise was a firm mattress with a plush pillow top and that’s the one we both liked. Malcom let us lay as long as we wanted and gave us insight on each mattress. He was cheerful and attentive and made us feel like the experience was worth it. He also told us about a bundle sale that was ending the same day as our visit and we chose to purchase and get the bundle. So we got a mattress and a mattress cover, pillows, and bedsheets for free! So excited to receive the mattress! Thanks Malcom!
Wow… just wow. Went to try some mattresses and didn’t think I would get such an amazing experience, and it’s all thanks to Valerio! He’s so personable and a great person. Super knowledgeable and professional, and makes you feel right at home. He has your best interest in mind and will not try to sell you the most expensive mattress, but the one that suits you the best. Thanks Valerio for an amazing experience!
Our Sleepare experience was enhanced by Valerio, who made shopping for a mattress a truly enjoyable experience! He had great advice and knowledge of all the different types of mattresses, which helped us make our final choice.
I had a wonderful experience at SleePare. I made an appointment the day before and included my budget along with some preferences and sleep habits (I recommend doing this as well if visiting). I was helped by Malcolm who was incredibly helpful and already had some beds lined up according to my appointment notes. Malcolm was super helpful and not pushy at all. He took great consideration of my constraints and helped me narrow down my choice as well as answer my countless questions. I had some brands in mind but with their help I was able to find a mattress that wasn’t even on my radar and I was much more happy with. This is a great spot to check out online mattress brands in person before committing to a purchase or sleep trial. Overall I was very happy with my experience and definitely recommend Malcolm to help you out!
What a great shopping experience! Valerio answered all our questions and held guide us to find the perfect mattress. On top of the great service, Valerio made us feel welcomed and we trusted his expertise! Very happy with our shopping experience!
Was recommended to come and I loved the experience!!! The service is great, great help in trying to find the perfect mattress explaining the differences between the different types of springs, gel, etc. If you are trying to find a new mattress I recommend going in person to find what you like.
I just walked in.Fazi was ready to help me out. She is smart easy to talk to and knows a lot about these mattresses. 30 minutes later I bought an amazing Helix Elite mattress.Fazi made the purchase easy.
I love this place. I was so clueless to what I wanted and needed. And Fazi i think the name of the guy he gave exceptional service. I would recommend 10/10
I had an absolutely incredible experience shopping at SleePare! I can't express enough how impressed and grateful I am for the outstanding assistance I received from Fazi. Despite not having an appointment, she went above and beyond to help me understand which mattress would suit my sleep style best. Her knowledge, patience, and attentiveness were remarkable.I visited the store multiple times—testing mattresses again and again, aligning payments, and even exploring pillow options—and every single time, I was treated with the utmost care and respect. The service was nothing short of exceptional, and I’m beyond thrilled to be finalizing my purchase with SleePare. Thank you for such an amazing experience!
I made an appointment online, went to the showroom and was assisted by Fazi. She was attentive, *not* pushy, the showroom and mattresses were clean and in great shape. Excellent service through the entire process from entrance to purchase (over the phone). Would HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking to try any popular online mattress brands!!
Best mattress showroom in town! customer service was perfect. Fazi was very knowledgeable about her work and was able to help me out with all of the questions i had about my purchase. highly recommend the mlily power cool!!!
Call me old fashioned but l have no idea how people buy mattresses without trying. I specifically came to Sleepare to try online mattress brands that are very popular right now and I got to work with Fazi. She explained all ins and outs of the mattresses they carry and helped me find the most supportive one specifically for me. I bought Leesa Legend Chill and am super excited about my new mattress. I will definitely update on how it feels in a couple of weeks
I had a great experience here with Valerio. He really took his time showing us every mattress and explaining the differences and what to look for. No pressure at all. Plus, it was nice to check out all the online mattresses in person.
The salesman we worked with was helpful and nice. Since we were still in decision mode, we left and when I got home I checked a few of the manufacturers online that we saw in the store. To my dismay, this store does not carry models sold by the manufacturers online. They only carry versions made for retail, that is one-offs. And the model that was closest to the online version was $900 more in the store. When we decided to go to this store we were expecting the same exact model as seen online, so it wound up being a bit of a waste of time. The store advertises that you can try mattresses sold online. Not really true.
My boyfriend and I had a terrific experience buying a HelixMidnight Elite from Sleepare. We came just to take a look but Fazi was so amazing we did not have any reasons NOT to buy it. We also got bedding bundle with it as a part of Black friday sales, I am super thrilled!
I went to buy a mattress since I moved to NYC recently, and I needed a new mattress. This showroom was amazing, especially their staff. Very attentive, listened to all my needs, and carefully helped me select a perfect mattress for me. Special thanks to Fazi, who helped me figure out the best mattress. I never knew that my back was hurting because I did not select the best mattress that fit my needs.
This was my first experience of actually going to a mattress store. I usually order my mattress online. The moment I walked in and was browsing, Fazi came up to me, introduced herself, and asked if I needed any help. She gave me so many recommendations, and I had no idea selecting a perfect mattress for myself could be so entertaining. I end up buying the flat-top mattress. I would recommend this store and ask for Fazi she is the best.
Fazi was amazing! She made mattress shopping easy and stress-free by really listening to what I was looking for and offering expert advice. She’s super knowledgeable, and patient, and never pushed me toward anything I didn’t want. The store had a great selection, and I found the perfect mattress thanks to her help. Highly recommend visiting this store and working with Fazi!
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Meet The Author:
Shanir Kol
Shanir Kol, founder and CEO of SleePare, pioneered the “Try and Buy” model in eCommerce, enhancing mattress shopping by combining in-store trials with online purchases. Launching in 1999, his company focuses on customer satisfaction and eco-friendly practices, aiming to minimize mattress waste and expand sustainably.