If someone has told you that you snore loudly, stop breathing in your sleep, or gasp yourself awake, you may have heard the words "sleep apnoea". It's one of the most common sleep problems we see, and also one of the most treatable. Here's what it means in plain English.

What happens during sleep apnoea

When you fall asleep, the muscles in your throat relax. For most people, the airway stays open enough for air to flow freely. In obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), the airway narrows or collapses again and again through the night.

When the airway partly closes, breathing becomes shallow. This is called a hypopnoea.
When it fully closes, breathing stops for ten seconds or more. This is an apnoea.

Each time this happens, oxygen levels can dip and your brain briefly wakes you up to reopen the airway. You usually don't remember these awakenings, but they can happen dozens of times an hour. The result is broken, poor-quality sleep, even if you were in bed for eight hours.

Common signs

Sleep apnoea is easy to miss because it happens while you're asleep. Often a bed partner notices first. Signs include:

loud, regular snoring
pauses in breathing, choking or gasping during sleep
waking up unrefreshed, or with a dry mouth or headache
feeling sleepy or tired during the day, or nodding off when sitting still
poor concentration, memory or mood
getting up to go to the toilet several times a night

Not everyone with sleep apnoea snores, and not everyone who snores has sleep apnoea. That's why testing matters.

Who gets it?

Anyone can develop sleep apnoea, including children. It becomes more common with age, and some things raise the risk:

carrying extra weight, especially around the neck
being male (although it's often under-recognised in women, particularly after menopause)
a naturally narrow airway, large tonsils or a recessed jaw
drinking alcohol in the evening, or using sedating medicines
smoking
nasal congestion

Why it matters

Untreated sleep apnoea doesn't only make you tired. Over time, moderate to severe sleep apnoea is linked with higher blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and low mood. Daytime sleepiness also raises the risk of accidents. The Sleep Health Foundation notes that people with untreated sleep apnoea are around two and a half times more likely to have a car crash.

The good news is that treatment usually improves sleep, energy and quality of life, often quite quickly.

How is it diagnosed?

Sleep apnoea is diagnosed with a sleep study. For many adults, this can be done at home with a small, portable recording device you wear overnight in your own bed. Some people need an in-lab study instead, for example if they have other medical conditions.

You'll usually need a referral from your GP. Your GP may ask you to fill in short questionnaires about snoring and sleepiness to work out which test suits you.

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on how severe your sleep apnoea is and what's causing it. Options include:

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure): a small machine that gently blows air through a mask to keep your airway open while you sleep. It's the most common treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnoea.
Mouth splints (mandibular advancement devices), which hold the lower jaw forward.
Positional therapy for people whose sleep apnoea is mainly when they lie on their back.
Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, cutting back on alcohol and treating a blocked nose.

Your doctor or sleep physician will talk you through what suits you.

What to do next

If any of this sounds familiar, have a chat with your GP. Ask whether a sleep study is right for you.

At Spirit Sleep & Respiratory in Kogarah, we offer home and in-lab sleep testing, bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid referral. We also help with CPAP set-up and mask fitting. Call us on (02) 9564 8626 or book online.

General information only. Always talk to your doctor about your own health.

What is obstructive sleep apnoea? A plain-English guide