Types of Sleep Apnea

There are three different types of sleep apnea:

1. Obstructive Sleep apnea
2. Central Sleep apnea
3. Mixed Sleep apnea

While the first two are two totally different types of sleep apnea, the third one, as the name suggests is a combination of the first two types. Let us briefly discuss each of these types now.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs due to an obstruction in the air passage during the sleep state. As discussed earlier, the muscles in the soft palate and the uvula can relax excessively, causing the airway to be blocked completely. Obstructive sleep apnea is seen more commonly in people with weight problems. Overweight people tend to have obstructive sleep apnea. It is also seen commonly in people having facial deformities. These deformities can cause obstruction in the throat and nose leading to breathing problems during sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea

This is another form of sleep apnea and involves the central nervous system. There is a huge difference between central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea - central sleep apnea is a neurological disorder, while obstructive sleep apnea is a physical disorder.

In a person suffering from central sleep apnea, the brain sends incorrect or confusing signals to the respiratory system, thereby causing it to shut down the breathing process instead of continuing it. This causes the oxygen levels in the blood to drop, and the brain then follows the same method of restoring the balance. It forces the sleeper to gasp for air which wakes him up temporarily and thereby restores the breathing process to normalcy.

Central sleep apnea is far less common as it occurs mostly because of damage to the brainstem resulting from accidents or disease.

Mixed Apnea

This, as the name suggests, is a combination of the previous two types. It starts off as a central type of sleep apnea, and then becomes an obstructive type. Research has shown that the central aspect of this apnea automatically reduces once the obstructive component is treated.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms >>