So what is sleep apnea? What causes sleep apnea? Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it seems. The short answer is that sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where the sleeper has one or more pauses in their breathing during the night. Those breathing pauses can vary, from just a few seconds to a minute or longer.
The severity of those pauses can lead to significant health problems, so it’s important to stay on top of your sleep apnea and get it checked out. If you think you may have the symptoms of sleep apnea, then get it checked out by a doctor. It can be scary, but more information is always better, the question of what is sleep apnea can often be a source of anxiety for many people. Know that sleep apnea is treatable, and is no longer the terrible sentence that it once was.
What causes sleep apnea? Basically, it’s a closed airway. This can happen a couple of different ways. Often a weight gain can be a trigger for sleep apnea, other times it can be as simple as the shape of your airways. Another contributing factor can be the position you sleep in.
While it’s usually a good thing to sleep on your back, this position has been known to increase the likelihood of sleep apnea. If you’re worried, seek a medical professional. Often times more knowledge is the key to releasing the anxiety you may be feeling about a problem.
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