A sleep-related breathing disorder is a

sleep disorder A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder affecting an individual's sleep patterns, sometimes impacting physical, mental, social, and emotional functioning. Polysomnography and actigraphy are tests commonly ordered for diagnosing sle ...

in which abnormalities in

breathing Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the rhythmical process of moving air into ( inhalation) and out of ( exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxy ...

occur during

sleep Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain Sensory nervous system, sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with th ...

which may or may not be present while awake. According to the

International Classification of Sleep Disorders The International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) is "a primary diagnostic, epidemiological and coding resource for clinicians and researchers in the field of sleep and sleep medicine". The ICSD was produced by the American Academy of Sle ...

, sleep-related breathing disorders are classified as follows: *

Sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...

, including the more specific disorders of

obstructive sleep apnea Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder and is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction, obstruction of the respiratory tract#Upper respiratory tract, upper airway lea ...

and

central sleep apnea Central sleep apnea (CSA) or central sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS) is a sleep-related Disorder (medicine)#Disorder, disorder in which the effort to Breathing, breathe is diminished or absent, typically for 10 to 30 seconds either intermittently o ...

* Central hypoventilation syndromes *

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a condition in which severely overweight people fail to breathe rapidly or deeply enough, resulting in low oxygen levels and high blood carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. The syndrome is often associated with ...

* Sleep-related

hypoxemia Hypoxemia (also spelled hypoxaemia) is an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood. More specifically, it is oxygen deficiency in arterial blood. Hypoxemia is usually caused by pulmonary disease. Sometimes the concentration of oxygen in the ...

disorder * Sleep-related hypoventilation due to a

medication Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...

or substance, or due to a

medical disorder A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are asso ...

* Isolated symptoms produced by breathing during sleep, including

snoring Snoring is an abnormal breath sound caused by partially obstructed, turbulent airflow and vibration of tissues in the upper respiratory tract (e.g., uvula, soft palate, base of tongue) which occurs during sleep. It usually happens during in ...

and

catathrenia Catathrenia or nocturnal groaning is a sleep-related breathing disorder, consisting of end-inspiratory apnea (breath holding) and expiratory groaning during sleep. It describes a rare condition characterized by monotonous, irregular groans whi ...

. There are many different surgical procedures for sleep-related breathing disorders, sometimes collectively termed "

sleep surgery Sleep surgery is a range of surgical procedures to treat sleep-related breathing disorders (sleep-disordered breathing), especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders also includes Snoring, primary snor ...

Severity of sleep apneas

The most severe of the sleep apneas is obstructive sleep apnea. Apnea is obstructive only when polysomnography reveals a continued inspiratory effort, evidenced by abdominal and thoracic muscle contraction. Sleep apnea is measured by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). An AHI is determined with a

sleep study A sleep study is a test that records the activity of the body during sleep. There are five main types of sleep studies that use different methods to test for different sleep characteristics and disorders. These include simple sleep studies, polysom ...

. AHI values for adults are categorized as: *Normal: AHI<5 *Mild sleep apnea: 5≤AHI<15 *Moderate sleep apnea: 15≤AHI<30 *Severe sleep apnea: AHI≥30 An episode is when a person hesitates to breathe or stops their breathing altogether.

Treatments of sleep apnea

The most common treatment for sleep apnea is the use of

continuous positive airway pressure Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of positive airway pressure (PAP) ventilation in which a constant level of pressure greater than atmospheric pressure is continuously applied to the upper respiratory tract of a person. The a ...

with a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine pushes air through the nose and/or mouth, which applies air pressure to keep the throat open while asleep. This prevents pauses in breathing. This is helpful in the sense of people with more severe sleep apnea related problems. This CPAP machine is usually the first line of treatment and one of the most effective ways to treat the disease. This machine can help with the quality of sleep someone receives when using it and also lowering their blood pressure and other medical-related problems one might have when being diagnosed with this disease. Other forms of treatment to consider are oral appliances. An oral appliance helps keep the jaw forward and the tongue relaxed. There are a number of surgical treatments available. There are many surgical procedures for sleep apnea. The most common of these is called a

uvulopalatopharyngoplasty Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (abbreviated as UPPP or UP3) is a type of sleep surgery, which are surgical procedures for sleep-related breathing disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty involves removal and/or rem ...

(UPPP). One can also consult their doctors about losing some weight which can also help in most cases.

Central hypoventilation syndrome

"Central hypoventilation syndrome, sometimes referred to as Ondine's curse, is an inability of the brain to detect changes in carbon dioxide levels in the body during sleep. The human body determines the amount of oxygen it needs by monitoring how much carbon dioxide is in the blood." Central hypoventilation syndrome is caused by certain receptors in the brain failing to recognize changes in carbon dioxide levels during sleep, leading to a low breathing rate and low blood concentration of oxygen. Some of the causes of this disease are sudden onset obesity or spinal cord surgery. This is one of the least common sleep disorders and has the least amount of research done for it.

Treatments of central hypoventilation syndrome

The treatment for central hypoventilation syndrome involves breathing support during sleep, often through the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. In some cases, this type of breathing support may be necessary during waking hours as well. Often referred to as oxygen therapy, it can use a CPAP machine as well. Again weight loss is a big help as well and listed as one of the top ways to get rid of the problem.

References

{{Sleep Sleep disorders