What Is Sleep Apnea and When Should You Get Checked? (NHLBI / NIH)
What is sleep apnea, and how would you know if you had it? The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes it as a common condition in which breathing stops and restarts many times during sleep, so the body is repeatedly short of oxygen. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep, and factors including weight, large tonsils and changes in hormone levels can narrow the airway and raise the risk. The prompt to act is straightforward: if someone tells you that you snore or gasp for air in your sleep, or you wake unrefreshed with excessive daytime sleepiness, talk to a healthcare provider. Untreated sleep apnea is not just fatigue. NHLBI links it to problems concentrating, remembering and making decisions, and to higher risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious problems.
Where this fits: Your Perimenopause Insomnia Might Be Sleep Apnea
Claims this source supports
- Sleep apnea is a common condition in which breathing stops and restarts many times during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep; factors such as obesity, large tonsils, or changes in hormone levels can narrow the airway and raise risk.
- If someone reports that you snore or gasp for air during sleep, or you experience symptoms of poor sleep quality such as excessive daytime sleepiness, talk to your healthcare provider.
- Untreated sleep apnea can cause problems with concentrating, remembering things, and making decisions, and increases risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious problems.