Sleep disorders are growing unstoppably and apnea is one of those that appear more and more frequently, only behind insomnia, but well ahead of restless legs syndrome or night terrors . It consists of the obstruction or collapse of the upper airway that occurs while sleeping due to the fact that the airway narrows, becomes blocked or becomes flexible, with which the affected person has various episodes throughout the night in which stop breathing for a few seconds . The prototype profile of the apnea patient is a middle-aged, overweight and snorer man. Apnea is one of the problems that most negatively affects people’s daily lives and it is also on the rise.
Experts from the Sleep Chair of the University of Granada-GrupoLoMonaco indicate that 22% of men and 17% of women suffer from it , although they think that there may be close to 80% of undiagnosed cases.
The main consequence for those with sleep apnea is the fatigue that invades them and the feeling of sleep that they have during the day . Sometimes those affected fall asleep almost anywhere, even while driving, which makes apnea one of the main causes of traffic accidents : up to 20% of these incidents can be related to lack of rest.
Apnea sufferers are often light sleepers and often have difficulty concentrating and remembering. It is sometimes associated with associated disorders, such as depression and cardiovascular problems.
As we have said, it is characterized by respiratory arrest while sleeping, forimpaired passage of air through the throat. For it to be diagnosed as apnea, there must be at least five complete or partial stops per hour of sleep, lasting more than 10 seconds each. Sometimes, when the affected individual stops breathing for a few seconds, they show symptoms of suffocation or suffocation, and these recur throughout the night. The “apneics” toothey tend to sweat quite a bit while sleepingwithout excessive heat in the room.
Thesnoring is another constant associated with apneaof the dream. When the patient stops breathing, snoring also abruptly stops, which can help detect apnea. Although a person who snores does not necessarily have to suffer from apnea, almost everyone who has apnea snores.
The most commonly used treatment is known as CPAP (“continuous positive airway pressure”), or more colloquiallymask to breathe. It is a small machine that pumps air into the airways through a nasal mask and keeps the windpipe open during sleep. This system reduces the number of respiratory arrests, but in itself it does not cure, because if it is discontinued, the arrests reappear.
That’s why you have to modify andimprove various inappropriate habits. It is very important to use a suitable mattress and pillow, as well as to control the temperature and brightness of the room.
In addition, it is necessary to review the lifestyle in relation to sleep and implement best practices, follow a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up, not consuming stimulants, eating healthy, exercising (although not intensively before sleeping), and suppressing or moderate alcohol and tobacco.
The Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC) and the new Sleep Research Chair of the UGR-Lo Monaco Group, launched this year in collaboration with the University of Granada, jointly carry out research based on the study, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of aspects related to sleep. TheSleep Laboratoryof the University of Granada is the largest research center of its kind in Europe.
