Sleep apnea is a condition that affects about 18 million Americans and can be deadly if not treated properly. People suffering from sleep apnea will experience difficulty in breathing while asleep because it obstructs the airway and causes it to collapse on itself. Sometimes this happens one to three times in an hour, and other times it can happen up to 60 times in an hour. While this is occurring, the body's oxygen levels start to decrease and the carbon dioxide levels increase. The body senses the need to breathe, so it pushes up against the diaphragm, snapping the person out of sleep so they can take a breath. This causes the person to experience a gasping episode, which they normally do not realize they are doing even though they are technically "awake." Although the person is able to take a breath, they are deprived of the normal progression of sleep at the same time. This can lead to a number of health-related risks such as:
- Asthma
- Stroke
- Depression
- Mental Disorders
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Heart Failure
- Diabetes
- Lack of Focus
- Loss of Work Productivity
- Memory Loss
- Sexual Dysfunctions
Michael Holsey
Dan Dykes
Matthew Vargo
