Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses or shallow breaths while sleeping. These pauses can last from seconds to minutes, and can occur 30 times or more in an hour. Typically, normal breathing resumes after with a loud snort or a choking sound.

Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that disrupts sleep, moving you from deep sleep to light sleep. Because of this your quality of sleep is poor. This typically leads to loss of energy during the day, poor concentration, productivity, and the inability to stay awake during less active tasks such as reading, driving, or watching television. In serious cases the continuous oxygen deprivation caused by sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.

While some cases of sleep apnea can be treated with simple remedies such as sleeping on your side, others require measures such as CPAP machines or dental devices that adjust the position of the mouth during sleep.

Please see the dental sleep medicine heading at the top of the page for more information.