Q&A #4 What Are Sleep Apnea Events and How Do They Progress?

There are some sleep events not even a double shot of espresso can fix.

No matter how many cups of coffee you down, you can't reverse the effects of a regular event-filled sleep pattern.

In fact, nightly sleep events--sometimes called sleep arousals--can do a lot more damage than simply leaving you feeling sluggish at work and irritable at home.

They can contribute to an early death.

Using a CPAP machine to get a peaceful rest now is a much wiser course than increasing your risk of heart disease and many other life-threatening conditions later.

Sleep Apnea Events

According to the sleep researchers at Harvard Medical School, "Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a person's airway repeatedly becomes blocked despite efforts to breathe."

The same researchers suggest thinking of sleep apnea events like slurping a milkshake through a straw.

When the straw collapses or bends, it’s extra hard to pull even a tiny bit of milkshake goodness into your mouth.

In the same way, your airways collapse or contract during a sleep apnea event, meaning you have to pull so hard to get oxygen into your lungs that you wake yourself up.

Go a few seconds without fresh oxygen, and your brain wakes you up to take a breath. Those waking episodes are called "apneas" or "sleep events."

Some studies from the National Institute of Health say that mild sleep apnea could probably be fairly easily controlled by changing your sleeping position, for example.

If that doesn’t work or if you have more serious sleep apnea, you’re likely to need CPAP machine treatment, since untreated sleep apnea can lead to anything from daytime fatigue to increased obesity-related disease.

Progression of Sleep Apnea Events

Sleep proceeds through a series of five stages, each deeper than the one before it. The deepest sleep happens when you dream.

Throughout the night, sleepers cycle through these five stages many times. This pattern is called sleep architecture. (Cool!)

Events interrupt the architecture. A single event can last from three to 15 seconds. Events longer than 15 seconds are called awakenings.

Most sleepers remain unaware of events but realize when an awakening occurs, which makes sense.

As the number of events per hour ramps up, the seriousness of sleep apnea accelerates. Depending on the severity of sleep events, blood oxygen levels can drop to 79% or even lower.

The Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index (AHI) determines the severity of sleep apnea. Further Harvard research shows that fewer than five sleep events per hour is not much to worry about, but five to 15 events is considered mild sleep apnea.

Those who experience 15 to 30 events per hour have moderate sleep apnea, and folks with more than 30 episodes are in the severe range.

Some people say a sleep study showed they had over 100 events per hour! No wonder they woke up exhausted.

But even as few as five events per hour can cause a sleeper to be groggy throughout the day. Using a CPAP machine that encourages uninterrupted breathing can reduce or even eliminate sleep-event progression.

Conclusion

An occasional night with a few events can probably be offset by a big gulp of caffeine and better rest the next evening.

A high AHI, however, can result in serious health-related issues.

A CPAP machine or other treatment may relieve fatigue, reduce illness, and prolong both rest and lifespan. Find out whether you may need a CPAP machine by visiting your doctor for an evaluation.