Sleep apnoea is a serious health concern. It occurs during sleep when breathing stops for a few seconds or becomes very shallow—it’s as if you forget to breathe. These episodes can happen numerous times throughout the night, meaning the body receives insufficient vital oxygen or none at all.
This condition can disrupt sleep, though not always, and significantly affects your overall well-being. The most immediate effect is a lack of restorative sleep, leading to daytime drowsiness and fatigue. In the longer term, sleep apnoea increases the risk of hypertension, accidents, heart attacks, arrhythmias, heart failure and type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnoea affects more than 25% of the population and is two to three times more common in men than women.
Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the condition and are determined by a pulmonologist and/or maxillofacial specialist. They might range from lifestyle changes and mandibular advancement splints (for mild cases) to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy during sleep (for moderate cases) and orthognathic surgery (for moderate to severe cases).
When sleep apnoea is successfully treated, sleep becomes truly restorative. Daytime drowsiness disappears, physical and emotional well-being improve, concentration increases, breathing normalises, and overall quality of life is enhanced.
Sleep apnoea
