Sleep Apnoea
Conditions
 

Apnoea means ‘cessation of breath’, an increasingly common disorder affecting between 3 – 15% of the population.

Central Sleep Apnoea occurs when the messages from the brain to the breathing centre are interrupted.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea occurs when the upper airway is obstructed. The tongue and soft palate relax and fall back in the throat, blocking the airways.

The sufferer snores, has laboured breaths, is silent for up to 90 seconds and then struggles to breathe, accompanied by loud snorts, gasps, flailing arms and body jerks.

This cycle may repeat itself hundreds of times a night, resulting in sleep deprivation to both the sufferer and their bed partner.

Symptoms in children include:

  • loud snoring
  • restless sleep
  • absence of breathing (apnoea)
  • excessive night sweats
  • poor weight gain
  • obesity
  • behavioural day-time changes including hyper-activity, aggression or apathy

Symptoms in adults include:

  • loud snoring
  • frequent night-time urination
  • morning headaches
  • daytime fatigue
  • memory lapses
  • irritability
  • dry mouth
  • frequent thirst
  • inability to lose weight
  • sexual dysfunction

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 Untreated sleep apnoea can lead to:

  • high blood pressure which increases the risk of stroke
  • heart disease which increases the risk of heart attack
  • hypoxia (low oxygen levels) which increases the risk of brain damage

Treatments for Sleep Apnoea

The Buteyko Breath Retraining method will restore the functionality of your respiratory centre and reduce symptoms naturally. As you learn to breathe correctly, soft tissue in the upper airways tone up again, leading to less obstruction. Night-time strategies, breath awareness exercises and lifestyle changes will reduce apnoeas and improve the quality of your sleep and energy.

If you suspect you have sleep apnoea, you need to visit your family physician. You will then be referred to a sleep clinic. It may take up to a year before you can get an appointment for a sleep study. At the sleep clinic, you will be required to stay overnight. Your breathing and sleeping patterns will be observed and monitored.

The CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is the only treatment currently recommended by the medical profession if you are diagnosed with sleep apnoea. A weight loss program is suggested if appropriate.

A CPAP machine sits by your bedside. Throughout the night, you wear a face mask which is attached to the machine. Air is forced into your nostrils with enough pressure to keep your soft tissues from collapsing and obstructing your airways. This decreases the number of apnoeas and snoring.

Side effects include facial markings from the pressure of the mask, post-nasal drip, congestion, dry mouth, anxiety, back pain and discomfort. Some people simply cannot tolerate using this machine. The cost is about $2,000. The mask and filter must be replaced yearly, for an additional cost of $100 - $200. Although the use of the CPAP machine will improve the quality of your sleep, if you stop using it, your symptoms will return.

The Buteyko Breath Retraining method can be your best course of action in addressing your sleep problems, eliminating the necessity of a CPAP machine. If you are currently using a CPAP machine, Buteyko is the tool to wean yourself off, restore healthy breathing and sleeping and keep you symptom-free.