Running head: SLEEP

Sleep Apnea
Jasmine Guanzon
Psychology 1010
February 14 2016

SLEEP

Introduction:
Sleep disorders are a fairly common struggle for many people. Sleep apnea is one of
these disorders. Although two different types of sleep apnea existCentral and Obstructive, the
most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)--which can be defined as the inability to allow
air flow through the mouth or nose, although not for lack of trying. Sleep apnea is a serious,
potentially life-threatening breathing disorder characterized by hundreds of brief interruptions of
breathing during sleep (NCSDR, 1995). It is a disorder that can go unnoticed by many, not only
because it happens during sleep, but also because people dont usually wake up during these
times of apnea (brief endings of breath) or hypopnea (very shallow or short breaths).

Literature Review:
A lot of people suffer from sleep apnea, although not all people realize they have it. This
can make it difficult to determine exactly how many adults have it and even more so to find out
how many children may have it. Sleep apnea can be more common in people who snore loudly,
that is not to say that everyone who snores must have sleep apnea but it can be an indication. It
can also be more common in people who are overweight, those with high blood pressure, or even
genetically passed down from family. Some sleep apnea may not be self-inflicted at all but can
be caused from any physical abnormalities in the nose, throat or other parts of the upper airway
(NCSDR, 1995). OSA tends to be more likely to manifest in males than females, though not
certain, this is believed to have something to do with possible hormonal effects on the muscles in
the upper airways (Franklin & Lindberg, 2015). This would make sense since OSA can be caused
by structural issues in the airways. It can also occur during sleep when you become relaxed, this
relaxation can cause the tongue and throat muscles to collapse and somewhat block the opening

SLEEP

of your airway or even entirely block the opening and stop breathing altogether (NCSDR, 1995).
Obesity can cause sleep apnea due to the excessive amounts of tissue in the airway
which can make it more difficult to breathe. This in turn causes heavy or labored breathing and
results in loud and heavy snoring or moments without breath (NCSDR, 1995). Due to the lack of
oxygen that occurs during an apneic event, it can cause an increase in carbon dioxide. A signal is
then sent to the brain that suffocation is occurring and that the body is in dire need of oxygen,
which will then cause a moment of a semi-awakened state, just enough to allow the airflow back
in whether by gasping or snorting in the breath (Hellmich, 1999). This time period of breath
intake can be so brief that the person might not actually be awakened by this natural reaction
which will result in continuous interruptions in the sleep cycle throughout the sleeping period,
unbeknownst to the sufferer. From there the individual may wake up unrested, suffer from
hypertension (which is believed to be caused by strain on the heart and arteries), irritability or
heavy bouts of sleepiness during daytime hours.
There is a possible link that exists between sleep apnea and stroke, most people who had
strokes and or died of strokes were also known to have regular heavy snoring occur. Additionally
a population based study supported the evidence that OSA significantly increases the risk of
stroke, this is thought to be caused from the high blood pressure that occurs in many OSA
sufferers. (Franklin & Lindberg, 2015). Another study done in connection with sleep apnea
showed that people who suffered from this disorder were much more likely to be involved in
traffic accidents, in addition to many more other types of accidents (Hellmich, 1999).
Furthermore due to the constant disturbances in the sleeping pattern many will suffer not
only from bouts of heavy sleep while working or driving but it can also effect many other things
in daily life, some consequences can be as serious as depression, learning and memory

SLEEP

difficulties. Sleep is a necessary aspect of human life, without it we would only survive for a
limited time. The series of events that occur during a night of sleep is part of one of the major
patterns of human life, the course of sleep and waking (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock,
2014). Many stages exist in this cycle of sleep, all are important-- although it is believed that the
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage may be one of the most important, due to its
connection with our mental state. Other stages, particularly those of the deepest stages of sleep
are just as equally important because most of our sleep occurs during these times (Davis, 1996).
Sleep apnea can interfere with these stages and the deeper stages of sleep effect our physical
being, such as fatigue, muscle or bone pain (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock, 2014). Interrupt
your sleep often or deprive yourself of it and you may notice changes in your health or mental
abilities, this may also explain why when we are tired we also tend to be forgetful.
Treatments do exist for sleep apnea. The first step would be to recognize that you have
this disorder and speak with your doctor about options. To determine what treatment is best a
sleep test referred to polysomnography is usually done (NCSDR, 1995). Once diagnosed,
determination of the best option is presented, for some this will be a Continuous positive airway
pressure or CPAP for short; this is the most common treatment. This comes in the form of a
mask over the nose that is hooked up to a machine that regulates air flow, this is usually worn
overnight. If sleep apnea is present in an individual who is overweight they would be encouraged
to lose weight due to the fact that some sleep apnea is merely a byproduct of obesity. Some may
also be asked to avoid any alcohol or depressant of any kind due to the effect they have on
muscle activity, in addition to that some are also asked not to sleep on their backs as this can also
make sleep apnea worse (Hellmich, 1999).
Application:

SLEEP

Sleep apnea is ever present in my family, I have a grandfather who was diagnosed, an
aunt and an uncle all on one side of the family. One thing that I know that they all have in
common is that they are all overweight. Additionally I know that they all suffer from the same
type of sleep apnea which is OSA. How they found out about this disorder was by having their
significant others complain about their snoring, which prompted the initial doctor visit. My
grandparents have slept in separate bedrooms for as long as I can remember because my
grandmother complained constantly of my grandfathers incessant snoring. They also all use the
CPAP treatment for their disorder, which seems to be an effective method of treatment for them.
What I dont know is if their OSA is related to their obesity or if the OSA is being passed on
through family members. I know it is common that sleep apnea can come as an individual gets
older which has also been true for my family members, none of who suffer now, suffered at a
younger age, at least not knowingly.
Conclusion:
I learned a lot from this experience, although I knew about sleep apnea I never really did
any research on it to see its causes. I also learned from the textbook about the sleeping patterns
and stages and what cause sleep apnea has on the interruptions of these stages, which I found to
be intriguing because of how many go untreated whether by choice or because they are unaware.
Learning the importance of sleep made me feel differently about the way I look at sleep apnea
now, I knew what sleep apnea was but I didnt realize that these constant interruptions were
having not only external issues--snoring loud or gasping for air, but what it was doing internally,
possibly causing strokes and a build-up of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. What I want to
know more about is the possibility of it being passed on by family members, if it really is
something in the genes that is causing it to go from generation to generation. I hope this topic

SLEEP

does help other people to educate themselves on this particular disorder because it does go
undiagnosed more often than not, this information could potentially help someone who may be
suffering without even knowing it. I found this topic overall to be very interesting and
informative, I really came out knowing more about sleep and its importance and the negative
effects sleep apnea is having on our sleep patterns and in our sleep stages.

References

SLEEP

Davis, S. (1996). Why We Must Sleep. American Health, 76-78.

Franklin, K. A., & Lindberg, E. (2015). A review on the epidemiology of sleep apnea. Journal of
Thoracic Disease, 1311-1322.
Hellmich, N. (1999, March 22). Snoring Can Be a Wake-Up Call for Heart Risk. USA TODAY, p.
n.p.
NCSDR. (1995, September). Facts about Sleep Apnea. SIRS Government Reporter, 1-4.
Pham, L. V., & Schwartz, A. R. (2015). The pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. Journal for
Thoracic Disease, 1358-1372.
Schacter, D., Gilbert, D., Wegner, D., & Nock, M. (2014). Psychology. New York: Worth
Publishers.