What is OSA?
If you snore, you might have a common sleeping disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
OSA affects about one in five adults, although most people are unaware they have it.
If you have OSA, it means your upper airway temporarily collapses while you sleep, causing you to stop breathing. These periods when your breathing stops (called apnea) can last for more than ten seconds and may happen up to several hundred times a night.
This puts a strain on your body, raising blood pressure and reducing your quality of sleep. These repeated apneas reduce your oxygen levels, and this alerts your brain to wake the body to begin breathing again.
You are unlikely to remember this happening but you may feel tired the following day. You may even wake yourself up in the middle of the night thinking that you need to go to the toilet, but this may be your body’s response to waking up from an apnea.
If you are overweight or have type 2 diabetes, your chance of having OSA is increased. The associated risk of health complications is also raised.
Getting diagnosed and effectively treated is important to reduce these risks.
Watch the video - Understanding Sleep Disorderd Breathing
Next steps
- Quick Sleep Test
- Discuss your results with your GP