Everything you need to know about sleep apnoea

Affecting around 5% of Australians, sleep apnoea is a lot more than just a snoring problem, with serious social and health impacts.¹

But what, exactly, is sleep apnoea? And how at risk are you?

Also known as obstructive sleep apnoea, the condition occurs when the muscles in the upper airways over-relax during sleep. This causes the throat to narrow, making it harder for air to get through. This can cause you to intermittently stop breathing, usually for at least 10 seconds at a time more than 5 times every hour.

As air forces its way through the throat, tissues in this area often vibrate, making snoring a common symptom of sleep apnoea. And, with less air reaching your lungs, your blood oxygen level might drop.²

As well as loud, frequent snoring, several common signs and symptoms might indicate that you have sleep apnoea. These include:

• interrupted breathing during sleep
• gasping for air during sleep
• daytime sleepiness and fatigue from poor quality sleep
• poor cognitive function
• dry mouth
• headaches
• sexual dysfunction
• regularly waking up in the night to urinate.³

While sleep apnoea is less common in children, if affected they may also experience:

• bedwetting
• worsening asthma
• trouble focusing.

Common factors that contribute to sleep apnoea include:

• excess weight and obesity
• age (you become more prone as you age due to weaker muscles)
• alcohol consumption
• consistent nasal congestion
• larger-than-normal tonsils and adenoids
• some medications (like sleeping pills)
• the shape and size of your face.¹

Health conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chronic lung diseases and heart disorders can also put you at an increased risk for sleep apnoea. Smokers are 3 times more likely to suffer from the condition.⁴

Sleep apnoea is more common in men, with one in 4 men over the age of 30 living with some degree of the condition.¹ Women in the post-menopause stage of their lives are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience sleep apnoea than premenopausal women.⁵

While it can be serious, sleep apnoea usually doesn’t cause a person to permanently stop breathing in their sleep. When breathing is interrupted, your body’s reflexes normally wake you up, typically for a few drowsy seconds that you won’t remember.

That said, there’s a range of short and long-term effects caused by sleep apnoea that can lead to serious health issues. Sleep apnoea may increase your risk of certain conditions, including:

• heart attack
• stroke
• high blood pressure.¹

Sleep apnoea can also cause problems in relationships. Excessive loud snoring can interrupt a partner’s sleep (or those sleeping in other rooms), potentially leading to distress and anxiety.⁶

Pregnant people who live with sleep apnoea may also be at a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to hormonal fluctuations.⁷

Unfortunately, sleep apnoea often goes undiagnosed.⁸

If you share a bed, ask the person you sleep next to if you snore, and if they’ve noticed interruptions in your breathing or snoring throughout the night. If you sleep alone, you can try a sleep-tracking app.

Snoring doesn’t always indicate sleep apnoea. Likewise, it’s completely normal for breathing to be briefly interrupted during sleep. The point at which it becomes a problem really comes down to the frequency of these interruptions.¹

If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnoea, there are a range of treatments available. These include everything from lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking or weight management, to surgery in extreme cases.

If you’re concerned about sleep apnoea, talk to your GP.