All About Sleep Apnea

Restful Sleep: Why Your Body Depends on It

Quality sleep is more than just a luxury—it’s a necessity for your body to function at its best. During deep, restorative sleep, your body repairs tissues, strengthens the immune system, balances hormones, and supports brain function. Without it, you may struggle with fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and a higher risk of serious health conditions

Sleep Apnea: A Simple Overview of a Serious Condition

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during the night. These pauses can last 10 seconds or more, cutting off oxygen and disrupting deep sleep—even if you don’t fully wake up. Left untreated, it can lead to chronic fatigue, brain fog, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more, including early death.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HEALTH RISKS OF SLEEP APNEA:

Downloadable PDF

Sleep apnea is silently harming your body every night. The exhaustion, brain fog, high blood pressure, and weight gain aren’t just isolated issues—they’re signs of an underlying problem. CLICK HERE to discover how sleep apnea is already impacting your health and the serious conditions it can lead to if left untreated.

Sleep apnea affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles—often in ways they don’t realize. To help you see how sleep apnea might be impacting you or a loved one, we’ve created five relatable avatars. Each represents a different journey with sleep apnea, from the busy professional pushing through fatigue to the young student misdiagnosed with other conditions. Explore their stories and see if any sound familiar—because getting the right help starts with recognizing the signs.

Common Signs and Symptoms

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea: How to Know for Sure

If you suspect sleep apnea, a proper diagnosis is key to getting the right treatment. There are two main tests: Polysomnography (PSG), an overnight sleep study conducted in a lab that monitors brain activity, breathing, oxygen levels, and more, and the Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT), a simpler at-home option that tracks breathing patterns and oxygen levels. While HSAT is convenient, PSG provides a more detailed assessment, especially for complex cases.

How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed & Measured?

A sleep study measures how often your breathing is disrupted while you sleep. The key result doctors use is the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), which counts how many times per hour you stop breathing (apnea) or have shallow breathing (hypopnea).

Your Diagnosis Is More Than Just a Number: Understanding Sleep Apnea Beyond AHI

Sleep apnea is more than just your Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) score. While AHI measures the total number of breathing disruptions per hour, it doesn’t tell the full story. The actual number of apneas (complete airway blockages) versus hypopneas (partial blockages with reduced airflow) can provide key insights into treatment outcomes. Positional factors also matter—some people experience significantly worse apnea when sleeping on their back versus their side. Additionally, sleep study variables like oxygen desaturation, arousal frequency, and respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs) all influence how sleep apnea impacts your health. That’s why a comprehensive evaluation of both your sleep study data and symptoms is essential for accurate diagnosis and the best treatment plan.

Most Common Components of Sleep Apnea Treatment

Overall, CPAP/BiPAP is the gold standard for treating sleep apnea, especially for severe cases. However, an oral appliance is a great alternative for those who cannot tolerate CPAP or are not interested in using it due to lifestyle and personal preferences.

In some cases, CPAP/BiPAP and oral appliances can be used together, particularly for severe sleep apnea or patients who struggle with CPAP alone. This combination therapy can:

Lower CPAP pressure – An oral appliance can help keep the airway open, reducing the air pressure needed from CPAP/BiPAP, making it more comfortable.
Improve mask fit – Using an oral appliance can reduce the need for a full-face mask by limiting mouth opening.
Enhance overall effectiveness – When CPAP alone isn’t enough, an oral appliance can provide additional airway support.