What Is Sleep Disordered Breathing?

Sleep disordered breathing involves repeated awakenings from sleep due to the cessations of breathe during sleep.

The obstruction of breathe may occur due to the narrowed airway passage. You wake up to start breathing and then fall back to sleep.

Depending on the condition, sleep disordered breathing occurs. Your airway may be completely obstructed or partially obstructed, muscles of the throat collapse resulting in blockage of airway, your brain may forget to breathe during sleep or there may be an obstruction to the free flow of air. You may not be aware of the awakenings but your sleep will be disturbed.

Types of sleep disordered breathing:

1. Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea occurs when breathing stops during sleep. You wake up gasping for breathe, start breathing and again fall back to sleep.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles of the throat collapse resulting in complete or partial blockage of airway passage.
3. Central sleep apnea: In central sleep apnea, the brain forgets to breathe during sleep. The central sleep apnea is related to the function of central nervous system.
4. Mixed sleep apnea: In mixed sleep apnea, both obstructive and central sleep apnea events occur.
5. Snoring: Snoring occurs when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passage at the back of the nose and mouth.
6. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome: Obesity hypoventilation syndrome results from both a defect in the brain’s control over breathing and excess weight due to obesity which makes hard to take deep breathe.
7. Upper airway resistance syndrome: Upper airway resistance syndrome is a condition that occurs by airway resistance to breathing during sleep.

How sleep disordered breathing occurs?

During sleep the throat muscles relax and airway narrows, but air passes normally. When the muscles relax more during sleep, or throat is partially closed.

When you breathe in, the air gets obstructed when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, a large tongue, large tonsils, and airway muscles collapsing during sleep.

What are the causes and symptoms of sleep disordered breathing?

If you have sleep apnea, it may sometimes lead to death due to cessation in breathing. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea may cause due to overweight. It may cause due to alcohol consumption before bedtime, smoking, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, nasal congestion, and nasal blockage.

Symptoms are excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, feeling unrefreshed, sudden awakenings during night, fatigue, tiredness, dry mouth, memory loss, sore throat, and headache due to the disturbed sleep. Your performance and alertness decreases.

What are the precautions to prevent sleep disordered breathing?

1. Weight loss can improve the quality of sleep.
2. Avoid sleeping on back, sleep on your side.
3. Maintain regular time schedule to go to sleep and waking up in the morning.
4. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and other sedatives as they narrow the airway during sleep.
5. Avoid heavy meals and spicy food before going to bed.
6. Avoid exercise three to fours before bedtime
7. Exercise in late afternoon as it is the best way to keep yourself healthy.