There are different types of sleep apnea which affect millions of people during the course of a lifetime.  Before we talk about the different types let’s talk about what sleep apnea is to provide a better understanding of the different types which are diagnosed in millions of people every year.

Sleep apnea is defined as a period of time when breathing is blocked or reduced during sleep.  The airflow is completely discontinued for a period of seconds and occurs in multiple episodes throughout the night usually without awareness by the person who has sleep apnea.  The episodes may also be defined as reduced oxygen to the blood when breathing is blocked and can occur up to more than a dozen times within one hour.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea is also known as CSA and is a condition which occurs when the muscles that control your breathing fail to receive a signal from the brain as the result of heart disease, specific medications, or other underlying influences.  CSA can occur in infants and range up to older adults who have other underlying medical issues. However, with infants it is more commonly related to a congenital disorder.

Adults that have central sleep apnea are treated by addressing the underlying condition which is causing the apnea.  This can be anything from heart disease, current medications, and other health issues that contribute to central sleep apnea. 

For infants with central sleep apnea the condition is treated with a device that monitors breathing and then gives off an alert if the infant experiences an episode.  The alert will wake the infant and the parent until the infant outgrows CSA which they usually do as they get older.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is also known as OSA and occurs in four stages during the standard sleep cycles of REM and NREM sleep (rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement).  The four stages make up an episode which can occur multiple times over the course of one hour.

• Airway Blockage:  Shortly after the sleep apnea patient falls asleep they begin to snore.  The air passage folds or is obstructed shortly after snoring begins.

• Apnea Patient Gasps:  In the second stage the sleep apnea patient gasps in an effort to draw a breath.  This effort is usually unsuccessful and affects the oxygen level in the blood.

• Reduction in Blood Oxygen:  As a result of trying to breathe successfully the oxygen level in the blood is reduced which in turn, reduces the oxygen in the brain.

• Reduction of Brain Oxygen:  When the oxygen in the blood drops the oxygen in the brain is also reduced.  This causes you to wake up and finally take a breath successfully.  The signs of this occurrence involve a brief silence from snoring and then a gasp.  At this point the snoring usually continues before the cycle continues all over again.

It is important to mention that people who have obstructive sleep apnea usually have at least one narrow airway which tends to get smaller at the bottom of the tongue and the palate.  When a sleep apnea patient lies on their back the palate ends up being located over the airway.  When the muscles of the throat eventually relax the palate retracts and interferes with the air passage.

The problem is that patients with obstructive sleep apnea do not recall a sleep disturbance when the episodes happen.  This is due to the fact that the brain only awakens during the regular 3 and 4 sleep stages or REM stage before it progresses into a shallow level of sleep.

Mixed Sleep Apnea

Mixed sleep apnea is just as the name implies and it occurs when there are two different forms of sleep apnea that are present at the same time.  These forms involve the previously mentioned which include central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.  Symptoms of mixed sleep apnea include a combination of central and obstructed sleep apneas.  The condition usually occurs in infants or younger children but is also known to occur in adults.

Mixed sleep apnea is commonly treated with a combination of CPAP therapy and drugs that promote healthy breathing habits.  CPAP is also known as positive airway pressure and is used to help maintain open airways during the sleep cycle.  The treatment can be used as a sole treatment or in combination with drugs that stimulate breathing.

These are the different types of sleep apnea that can occur in infants and up to adults that may or may not have health issues.  The proper diagnosis depends upon many different health factors which are examined during the course of diagnostic tests.