What causes sleep apnoea?
Apnoea is caused by the same muscles that cause snoring. It occurs when the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula (the small fleshy piece of tissue hanging back of the throat) relax, partially blocking the opening of the airway. However, sleep apnoea is more dangerous than snoring in that it alters normal breathing patterns. While asleep, suffers may stop breathing for between 10 to 25 seconds at a time, depleting the bloodstream and brain of vital oxygen supplies. The brain then suddenly sends an emergency signal, telling the person to wake up and take in a big gulp of air. In one single night, suffers may experience up to 350 ‘apneic events’ and usually find themselves waking up sweaty, with a dry mouth and headache. The frequent interruptions of deep sleep leads to excessive daytime fatigue and sleepiness.
