Can You Die From Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. Almost everyone occasionally suffers from short-term insomnia. Insomnia almost always affects job performance and well-being the next day.

Have insomnia frequently or for extended periods of time, which leads to even more serious sleep deficits. To increase with age and affects about 40 percent of women and 30 percent of men. Of an underlying medical disorder.

For short-term insomnia, doctors may prescribe sleeping pills. Use, however, and long-term use can actually interfere with good sleep. Good sleep habits (see "Tips for a Good Night's Sleep").

Sleep apnea is a disorder of interrupted breathing during sleep. Of muscle tone with aging. These changes allow the windpipe to collapse during breathing when muscles relax during sleep (see figure 3 ).

This problem, called obstructive sleep apnea, is usually associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this disorder). The neurons that control breathing malfunction during sleep. During an episode of obstructive apnea, the person's effort to inhale air creates suction that collapses the windpipe.

Blocks the air flow for 10 seconds to a minute while the sleeping person struggles to breathe. Level falls, the brain responds by awakening the person enough to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. The person may snort or gasp, then resume snoring.