Sleep apnoea is a disorder which causes your breathing to stop for short periods while you sleep. This usually occurs due to a blockage in your airway and is referred to as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). Sleep apnoea most often leads to snoring and sleep disruption, but other more life-threatening consequences are associated with the disorder.

What is Snoring?

This is the noise resulting from a partial closure of the airway during sleep. Snoring affects up to 45% of the UK’s population (Young at al, 1993) and can lead to a disruption of sleep for the sufferer and for their bed partner. Snoring can lead to daytime sleepiness, increased stress, depression, and even relationship issues. Sometimes snoring can be a result of the potentially life-threatening condition, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea occurs when the airway is repeatedly collapsed for 10 seconds or more during sleep, preventing, and disrupting breathing. This happens because the muscles in the head and neck relax, causing surrounding tissue to press on the windpipe. The obstruction to breathing may be complete or partial, but when left untreated can lead to serious health complications for the individual.

What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnoea?

Symptoms may include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, and restless sleep. Undiagnosed OSA can lead to multiple health conditions including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, and daytime sleepiness (Motamedi KK et al 2009). The costs and health implications demand investment into preventative health measures to address this issue and further education for patients and all health professionals.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Symptoms:

  • Struggling to wake-up or feeling extremely tired after a full night’s sleep
  • Daytime sleepiness or drowsiness
  • Waking up in the middle of the night
  • Mood changes such as anxiety or depression
  • Abnormal breathing patterns
  • Night sweats
  • Waking up short of breath or choking
  • Disruption of proper brain function such as memory loss or trouble concentrating
  • Reduction of libido or sexual dysfunction
  • Headaches after waking from sleep

Who is most at risk of developing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?

Sleep Apnoea is most common in the middle-aged and above the age of 50, affecting 4% of males, and 2% of females, until hormonal changes in menopause balance out the gender difference. Excess weight, obesity, and high blood pressure also increase the risk of developing the condition.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Risk Factors:

  • Snoring
  • Excess Weight or Obesity
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Alcohol Consumption
  • Anti-Depressants
  • Being Male
  • Over 50 Years of Age
  • Smoking

The most effective lifestyle changes are:

  • Losing weight
  • Sleeping on your side and using a support pillow:  Sleeping on your back can put pressure on your windpipe and prevent breathing.
  • Quit smoking
  • Reducing alcohol consumption
  • Avoiding taking sleeping pills

What can happen when Sleep Apnoea is untreated?

  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Decreased quality of life
  • Hypertension
  • Stroke
  • Heart failure
  • Greater chance of driving accidents
  • Increased mortality
  • Depression or changes in mood

How does Sleep Apnoea disrupt sleep cycles?

Sleep apnoea disrupts your sleep cycle in several ways:

  • Fragmented sleep: Each time breathing stops or becomes shallow, the brain is briefly aroused from sleep to restart breathing. These arousals, which can occur many times during the night, fragment your sleep and prevent you from getting enough deep, restful sleep.
  • Decreased oxygen levels: When you stop breathing or breathe shallowly, your body receives less oxygen. This can lead to low oxygen levels in your blood, which can cause you to wake up gasping for air or feeling short of breath.
  • Increased stress: When you stop breathing, your body must work harder to start breathing again. This can put stress on your cardiovascular system and increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
  • Disruption of REM sleep: Sleep apnoea can also disrupt your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the stage of sleep where most dreaming occurs. REM sleep is important for memory consolidation and learning, and disruptions to this stage of sleep can affect cognitive function.

Why is sleep important for general health?

Sleep is so critical to human function that sleep deprivation has been used as method of torture (Bukeley K, 2015 Psychology Today). We spend approximately 1/3 of our lives sleeping (Pagel and Parnes 2001).

Sleep provides the body with the opportunity to restore the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems nightly, which is crucial to maintain mood, memory, and cognitive function.

The insidious impact of sleep loss is associated with decreased health status, poor mental health and quality of life, and increased morbidity and mortality (Medic et al., 2017). 

Technological distractions, work pressures, ‘sleep is for wimps’ culture and the maxim, ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ has led to the association of this natural, fundamental and critical bodily function with laziness. 

As we continue to invest in our own health and wellness, the impact on the lack of sleep, linked to chronic health conditions, can no longer be ignored.

How can your dentist help with Sleep Apnoea?

Your dentist will be able to determine whether you are snoring as many people do, or if there needs to be further tests to determine the severity of the suspected OSA. Diagnosis of OSA will involve referring you for a sleep test to confirm the diagnosis and proceed with the appropriate treatment.

Sleep Apnoea Treatment at Montagu Dental

At our dental practice, we will be able to provide you with a custom-made Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) which will hold your jaw forwards, keeping your airway open while you sleep. Once the MAD is fitted, several appointments are required to adjust the advancement and monitor your symptoms. Success with the treatment depends on making a habit of wearing the device and your regular attendance to visit your specialist at the practice.

Dr Charlotte Leigh from our experienced team has a special interest in sleep apnoea, and regularly treats patients for the condition at our practice. To book an appointment with her, please click the button below.

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