Everything You Have Ever Wanted To Know About Sleep Apnea
What is sleep apnea?
Simply put, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your airway becomes obstructed during sleep, resulting in a partial or complete reduction in airflow. Each reduction in airflow is referred to as an “apneic event” or “apnea”. It’s possible, and not uncommon, to have hundreds of apneic events per night.
During each apneic event, your brain sends a signal for you to wake up, to clear the obstruction, and restore airflow. As you can imagine, waking up, even for a few seconds, hundreds of times each night, can result in excessive daytime sleepiness. It’s all too common for patients to sleep 8-10 hours a night and wake up feeling sleepy, fatigued, and unrested.
Rarely do patients realize they’re waking up so much throughout the night, as these arousals occur on a subconscious level. Unfortunately, since patients are often unaware that they stop breathing during sleep, and fatigue slowly but surely becomes an accepted (and normalized) baseline, testing for sleep apnea can often be delayed.
Symptoms of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea symptoms occur due to the repeated interruptions in breathing and the resulting effects on your body’s overall function and quality of sleep.
1. Snoring: Snoring occurs because the airway is partially blocked, causing the tissues in the throat to vibrate as air passes through. In sleep apnea, this blockage is frequent and often severe, leading to loud and persistent snoring.
2. Gasping for Air: When the airway becomes obstructed, breathing stops temporarily. Your brain detects the lack of oxygen and wakes you up, causing you to gasp for air as you start breathing again.
3. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: The repeated interruptions in your sleep cycle prevent you from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep. As a result, you feel extremely tired or drowsy during the day because your body hasn’t had a chance to get quality rest.
4. Chronic Fatigue: Poor sleep quality from frequent interruptions leads to overall fatigue. Since sleep apnea disrupts your sleep repeatedly, you don’t get the restorative sleep needed to feel refreshed, leaving you consistently tired, irritable, and unfocused.
5. Morning Headaches: The intermittent breathing interruptions cause drops in oxygen levels and increases in carbon dioxide levels, leading to headaches upon waking due to poor oxygenation and increased pressure in the blood vessels of the brain.
6. Dry Mouth or Sore Throat: People with sleep apnea often breathe through their mouths because their airway is obstructed. This mouth breathing dries out the mouth and throat, leading to soreness or discomfort when you wake up.
7. Frequent Nighttime Urination: The stress of repeated oxygen deprivation triggers a stress response in the body, increasing hormone levels that promote urine production. This results in needing to get up multiple times to use the bathroom during the night.
While these symptoms are the ones that are the most commonly associated with sleep apnea, it's important to remember that symptoms of sleep apnea can manifest differently for each individual. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, it's best to get tested. Here’s a sleep apnea test at home to consider: KOZIE Home Sleep Apnea Testing Online WatchPat Sleep Testing Kit
What causes sleep apnea and how prevalent is it?
Sleep apnea can be caused by a variety of factors and is estimated to affect 26% of adults between 30 to 70 years old. Meaning, out of 4 people, 1 is estimated to have sleep apnea. Needless to say, sleep apnea is quite prevalent!
The primary cause of obstructive sleep apnea is the over relaxation of muscles in the airway during sleep, which leads to the narrowing or complete closure of the airway.
Other causes and risk factors of sleep apnea include:
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Anatomy - Narrow airway, enlarged tonsils, large tongue, small jaw
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Obesity - Excess fat around the neck can obstruct the airway
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Age - Sleep apnea is more common in adults 30 years and older
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Gender - Men are more likely to develop sleep apnea. The risk in women increases after menopause
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Genetics - There is evidence that sleep apnea can run in families
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Alcohol / sedative use - These substances can relax muscles, further exacerbating airway obstructions
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Smoking - Smoking is notoriou for increasing inflammation and fluid retention, worsening airway obstructions
Unlike many other chronic diseases, deciphering the exact cause isn’t of significant importance when it comes to treating sleep apnea, because the treatment remains the same. PAP therapy, the gold standard for treating sleep apnea, is recommended as the first line of treatment.
How is sleep apnea treated?
Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Therapy is considered the gold standard to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Via a small interface, you receive room air that has been lightly pressurized by your PAP machine. The air acts as a stint to keep your airway open. Since your airway is being supported, airway obstructions are reduced to a “normal” amount or eliminated all together.
The vast majority of patients tolerate PAP therapy well, particularly after they sense the significant improvement in quality of life.
Since inadequate sleep affects multiple systems of the body, sleep apnea can manifest in a number of different ways, such as, feeling hungover or foggy in the morning, body aches, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, falling asleep at inopportune times, etc. PAP therapy’s effect can be immediate, providing much desired relief for those suffering from sleep apnea.
It’s important to note that you must use your PAP machine every night. PAP therapy will not have an “extended effect”, as far as supporting your airway. If you use your PAP machine on Monday night, you will reap the benefits on Tuesday during the day. If Tuesday night comes around, and you don’t use your PAP machine, you will experience sleep apnea symptoms on Wednesday. PAP therapy works by supporting the airway via lightly pressurized room air; if you do not use your PAP machine, your airway’s patency cannot be maintained, which will result in apneic events and low quality sleep.
I feel like I am gasping for air, is that common for sleep apnea?
Of all complaints, feeling like you are gasping for air can feel like one of the most alarming ones. Though in all fairness, these don’t fall far behind:
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Sometimes I wake up during the night, frequently, but I don’t know why
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The brain sends a signal to wake up, clear the airway, and restore airflow.
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I feel like I stop breathing when falling asleep
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Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop, potentially hundreds of times each night.
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I feel like I am gasping for air when falling asleep
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When the brain sends the signal to wake up and clear the airway, some patients may find themselves gasping for air.
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My wife tells me I stop breathing while asleep
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The patient’s spouse is in an optimal position to identify that something is amiss. If your spouse tells you that you stop breathing while asleep, believe them, and get tested!
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My wife tells me I snore, stop snoring, gasp, then start snoring again
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When you stop snoring, it is likely because you have stopped breathing.
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I snore so loudly everyone in the house can hear it
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While not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, snoring can be an indication of a partial airway obstruction, particularly loud or/and persistent snoring that can be heard through a wall.
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Why am I so tired during the day?
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If you have untreated sleep apnea, you may be waking up hundreds of times each night - it’s exhausting.
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It is important to note that awareness of symptoms varies per patient. Some patients may be completely unaware that they are gasping for air 45 times per hour. Others may have a vivid recollection of waking up gasping once or twice per hour, when in reality, they are gasping for air 15 times per hour.
While it can be difficult to believe that you are unaware that you stop breathing at night, sleep apnea is one of the most prevalent disorders, and unfortunately, it is also one of the most undiagnosed disorders.
What are the types of home sleep apnea tests?
KOZIE WATCHPAT (watch pat) - Cost: $189 - Disposable: Yes - Components: Watch, Chest Monitor (Sticker), Finger Monitor - DOT approved sleep apnea test: Yes
TRADITIONAL SLEEP TESTS - Cost: $275 - $350 - Disposable: No - Components: Chest belt, Facial cannula, Finger Monitor - DOT approved sleep apnea test: Yes
You may be asking yourself, where can I get a sleep study done near me or where can I get a sleep test near me?
First, you will need to determine the type of sleep test you need.
Home Sleep Apnea Test
A sleep study test, done at home, is validated to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from the comfort of your home.
Different kits contain different components. KOZIE’s WatchPat (watch pat) home sleep apnea testing kit contains 3 components:
1. A finger monitor
2. A monitor the size of a quarter placed on your chest
3. A watch placed on your wrist.
KOZIE’s WatchPat sleep test has comparable accuracy to in-lab sleep testing, yet it’s disposable and performed in your own home. You are assigned an individual patient care representative, and you are given your rep’s direct contact information - text or call them at anytime. During use of the test itself, 24/7 support is available.
In lab sleep apnea testing
An in-lab sleep test, also known as polysomnography, is a diagnostic procedure used to evaluate sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This test is conducted in a sleep lab, where a range of physiological parameters are monitored during sleep. This test requires that 15+ wires be attached to your scalp with the use of paste and tape. The wires are long and connect to a “head box”. Additionally, you’ll have 2 belts, one strapped around your chest and the other strapped around your stomach. You’ll have 2 sensors attached to each leg with more tape. Expect between 4 to 8 additional sensors attached to your face with either paste or tape (or both). In lab sleep testing is often required if you have significant cardiac or pulmonary conditions (atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, COPD, etc.).
Safe to say, most patients opt for home sleep apnea testing, thereby asking themselves, is there an at home sleep study near me or a sleep test near me? Yes, there is - KOZIE Home Sleep Apnea Testing specializes in sleep apnea testing and can have your sleep apnea test on your doorstep by the end of the day tomorrow (shameless plug, we know).
Can I do a DOT sleep apnea test at home? (Sleep apnea test near me)
During a DOT physical, sleep apnea screening is conducted. If the medical examiner identifies the patient as being at risk for sleep apnea, a sleep test will be required.
Millions of drivers around the world have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea will not impede your ability to drive. For your safety, and that of others on the road, it’s imperative to remain compliant with your PAP therapy treatment. Rest assured, the vast majority of PAP users are quite fond of their PAP machines, as the impact of PAP therapy on quality of life is significant.
KOZIE Home Sleep Apnea Testing understands the importance of getting cleared to get back on the road. Our standard online sleep test process is the best and the most expedited to begin with, but we’ll fast track it even further if you are a DOT driver. Order your sleep test today, receive it tomorrow, have results the next day.
What are common concerns? (Sleep apnea test near me)
Is a sleep study test at home painful or invasive ?
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No. Our kit is neither painful nor invasive.
Is home sleep apnea testing accurate?
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Home sleep apnea testing is comparable in accuracy to in lab sleep testing, yet it’s drastically more convenient, more affordable, and more accessible.
What if I can’t sleep during a sleep study?
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If you only sleep 1-2 hours a night, a home sleep study is not a good fit for you.
You’ve perused through our articles and resources and you’ve now decided to have a sleep study done! You’re no longer asking yourself “should I test for sleep apnea”. Now, you want the answer to the million dollar question - Who’s the best sleep apnea doctor near me or sleep test near me? (Sleep apnea test near me)
KOZIE Home Sleep Apnea Testing provides you with access to top-tier expertise, state-of-the-art technology, and a streamlined system designed for optimal convenience for only $189.00. The best part of it all? It’s all accomplished without you ever stepping foot in a clinic or sleep lab.
Included with your $189.00 purchase:
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2 Doctor Appointments conducted via TeleHealth.
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The first appointment will be before your sleep test, to discuss your symptoms.
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The second appointment will be after your sleep test, to discuss your results.
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1 home sleep apnea test kit
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24/7 support included
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Disposable kit, no trip to post office required
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Review of data by a Board Certified Sleep Medicine doctor
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Report created by a Board Certified Sleep Medicine doctor
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Direct access to your patient care representative via call and text
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Your extra friendly rep will reach out to you each step of the process. Since the process is expedited, you will receive a communication from your rep pretty much on a daily basis.
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If it is determined that you need PAP therapy, guess who will be there for you each step of the way? That’s right - the same patient care rep that you already have a relationship with. We don’t make our patient’s speak to 7 different receptionists, 4 different nurses, 8 different customer service reps, etc. Your assigned patient care rep is trained to handle ALL of your needs, from start to finish.