What is Sleep Apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder which is defined as an increased number of pauses in breathing whilst sleeping – all individuals have pauses in breathing whilst sleeping, however sleep apnoea is an increased amount of these events. These pauses cause us to wake up subconsciously, leading to restless sleep, and reduces our blood’s oxygen levels, causing many health risks to increase.
As mentioned, sleep apnoea can affect anyone, but it affects the following populations more:
Sleep apnoea is more common in men over the age of 35 than asthma, which highlights the common nature of the condition. Generally, we diagnose the condition with a take-home recording machine, and treat sleep apnoea with CPAP machines.
Diagnosis
A non-intrusive, take-home machine called the Alice-One is available to use for effective diagnosis of sleep apnoea. It consists of the recorder, a respiratory effort band, a pulse oximeter and a flow cannula. It is much more comfortable than other options on the market, such as overnight sleep studies in hospital.
What is CPAP?
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy is the most effective form of treatment. It consists of the following:
The benefits of CPAP therapy are very numerous, and can include (and aren’t limited to) the following:
