What is Sleep Apnoea?

‘Apnoea’ means ‘out of breath’. Sleep Apnoea is a serious medical sleep disorder where breathing momentarily ceases for a short time… then starts again. Breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night. The most common form of Sleep Apnoea is ‘Obstructive Sleep Apnoea’, or OSA. In a normal situation, the muscles and tissues of your throat keep your airway open, allowing airflow into the lungs. Muscle relaxation can cause the narrowing of the airway, and obstructing.

This obstruction can happen at the soft palate, uvula, tonsils and tongue. This lowers the level of oxygen and when the brain senses it, it briefly awakens the person and breathing is restored for a short period. The gasp for air is very brief, and you would not remember it. This pattern could happen all night long and as a result of this disruption, one cannot achieve restful sleep. Click to watch our short film which explains what is Sleep Apnoea and how an Oral Appliance works in treating it.