Coping with SLEEP APNOEA

This common condition can interrupt your breathing or make it very shallow when you are asleep

- Dr Gill Jenkins

Sleep apnoea happens if your airways become narrowed, stopping you breathing properly during sleep. The commonest type is called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is linked to being overweight, with a narrowing of the upper airways. Other risk factors include having a large neck, enlarged tonsils/adenoids, smoking, drinking alcohol (especially if heavily), sleeping on your back, a family history of apnoea and getting older (although children and young adults can get it).

Symptoms mainly happen during sleep, including making unusual sounds, such as choking, gasping, snorting or loud snoring. Your breathing may also stop and start, and you may wake frequently. In the day, you may notice you’re very tired or moody, and have headaches or difficulty concentrating.

It’s important to discuss your symptoms with your GP, as sleep apnoea can be serious if it’s not diagnosed and treated, with increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and depression. An increased risk of traffic accidents due to tiredness means you must tell the DVLA about it too, and even stop driving until your symptoms are under control.

If you could have sleep apnoea, you’ll be referred to a specialist sleep clinic for tests, with overnight monitoring to check your breathing, oxygen levels and heartbeat, either at home or during an overnight clinic stay. These monitors assess the apnoea severity while you sleep, called an AHI (Apnoeahypopnea Index), measuring the total number of pauses in breathing (apnoea) plus periods of hypopnea (episodes of shallow breathing) hourly. An AHI of under 15 is mild, over 30 is severe.