Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) means your breathing stops during sleep. It may be for a shot time or for a minute of more. And this may happen every few minutes or even every minute during sleep. If it is a chronic problem, your brain and body will be oxygen-starved during these times.
Let’s assume that the events occur every 2 minutes or 30 times per hour all night, and let’s assume that each event is 20 seconds long. In a 7 hour night, that would be 30 times per hour times 7 hours equals 210 times during the night. And at 20 seconds per event, that would mean that the breathing was stopped for 210 times 20 seconds or 4200 seconds during that night. That is 70 minutes which is over an hour!! In a week, that is over 7 hours.
No wonder you have low energy!! You won’t feel refreshed; you will feel tired. With less oxygen you will have low energy, your immune system will be lower, your performance will obviously suffer, and you will probably feel depressed.
OSA threatens your overall health. It is associated with obesity since low oxygen slows your metabolism leading to increased weight.
OSA can only be detected with instruments during a sleep test in a lab or in your home. But you may snore loudly; you may have episodes of gasping or choking. You may also experience dry mouth upon waking up and your nose is blocked up. You might feel chest pain or have a headache in the morning. Falling asleep during the day while driving, watching TV, or even reading this paper is a common symptom. No matter how long you are in bed and think you are sleeping at night, your performance will suffer. You don’t generate as much human growth hormone (HGH) as you need to repair your body properly. These are all symptoms of OSA. You need to be tested and treated. A simple oral device can help.