A sleep-related breathing disorder is a

sleep disorder A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of an individual's sleep patterns. Some sleep disorders are severe enough to interfere with normal physical, mental, social and emotional functioning. Polysomnography and actigraphy are tests ...

in which abnormalities in breathing occur during

sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

that may or may not be present while awake. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, sleep-related breathing disorders are classified as follows: *

Sleep apnea Sleep apnea, also spelled sleep apnoea, is a sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than normal. Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and they happen many tim ...

, including the more specific disorders of obstructive sleep apnea and

central sleep apnea Central sleep apnea (CSA) or central sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS) is a sleep-related disorder in which the effort to breathe is diminished or absent, typically for 10 to 30 seconds either intermittently or in cycles, and is usually associated w ...

* Central hypoventilation syndromes *

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a condition in which severely overweight people fail to breathe rapidly or deeply enough, resulting in low oxygen levels and high blood carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. The syndrome is often associated with ...

* Sleep-related

hypoxemia Hypoxemia is an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood. More specifically, it is oxygen deficiency in arterial blood. Hypoxemia has many causes, and often causes hypoxia as the blood is not supplying enough oxygen to the tissues of the bod ...

disorder * Sleep-related hypoventilation due to a

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and ...

or substance, or due to a

medical disorder A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

* Isolated symptoms produced by breathing during sleep, including

snoring Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The sound may be soft or loud and unpleasant. Snoring during sleep may be a sign, or first alarm, of ob ...

and

catathrenia Catathrenia or nocturnal groaning is a sleep-related breathing disorder, consisting of end-inspiratory apnea (breath holding) and expiratory groaning during sleep. The name originates from the Greek ''kata'' (below) and ''threnia'' (to lament), ...

Severity of sleep apneas

The most severe of the sleep apneas is obstructive sleep apnea. Apnea is obstructive only when polysomnography reveals a continued inspiratory effort, evidenced by abdominal and thoracic muscle contraction. Sleep apnea is measured by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). An AHI is determined with a

sleep study A sleep study is a test that records the activity of the body during sleep. There are five main types of sleep studies that use different methods to test for different sleep characteristics and disorders. These include simple sleep studies, polyso ...

. AHI values for adults are categorized as: *Normal: AHI<5 *Mild sleep apnea: 5≤AHI<15 *Moderate sleep apnea: 15≤AHI<30 *Severe sleep apnea: AHI≥30 An episode is when a person hesitates to breathe or stops their breathing altogether.

Treatments of sleep apnea

The most common treatment for sleep apnea is the use of

continuous positive airway pressure Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of positive airway pressure (PAP) ventilation in which a constant level of pressure greater than atmospheric pressure is continuously applied to the upper respiratory tract of a person. The ...

with a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine pushes air through the nose and/or mouth, which applies air pressure to keep the throat open while asleep. This prevents pauses in breathing. This is helpful in the sense of people with more severe sleep apnea related problems. This CPAP machine is usually the first line of treatment and one of the most effective ways to treat the disease. This machine can help with the quality of sleep someone receives when using it and also lowering their blood pressure and other medical-related problems one might have when being diagnosed with this disease. Other forms of treatment to consider are oral appliances or surgery. An oral appliance helps keep the jaw forward and the tongue relaxed. There are a number of surgical treatments available. The most common of these is called a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). One can also consult their doctors about losing some weight which can also help in most cases.

Central hypoventilation syndrome

"Central hypoventilation syndrome, sometimes referred to as Ondine's curse, is an inability of the brain to detect changes in carbon dioxide levels in the body during sleep. The human body determines the amount of oxygen it needs by monitoring how much carbon dioxide is in the blood."https://columbiasurgery.org/ Central hypoventilation syndrome is caused by certain receptors in the brain failing to recognize changes in carbon dioxide levels during sleep, leading to a low breathing rate and low blood concentration of oxygen. Some of the causes of this disease are sudden onset obesity or spinal cord surgery. This is one of the least common sleep disorders and has the least amount of research done for it.

Treatments of central hypoventilation syndrome

The treatment for concentral hypoventilation syndrome involves breathing support during sleep, often through the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. In some cases, this type of breathing support may be necessary during waking hours as well. Often referred to as oxygen therapy, it can use a CPAP machine as well. Again weight loss is a big help as well and listed as one of the top ways to get rid of the problem.

References

{{Reflist Sleep disorders