sleep disorder

I am 32 yr old woman.I am having sleep disorder for the past few years.after i go to sleep i stop breathing for quite a long time.nowadays i am getting blood pressure ,headache also because of this.i am sure that i dont have any problem in respiratory system and my throat everything is normal.panic,anxieties haults my breath.i always sleep as i am very alert to the sorrounding and doesn't have peaceful sleep.i am planning to be pregnant next year.i am very scared whether it will affect baby.please kindly advice me on this.i have read about cpap machine.i am afraid that it is not going to be comforable.could u please advice me with options...i am not over weight also.my weight is only 120 lbs.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Considering your symptoms of wakefulness after sleep, it is most likely that you may be having Obstructive Sleep Apnea. When a person sleeps the airways are usually patent allowing normal passage for air entry. The upper airway that is at the region of the tongue and the soft palate is the most compliant (soft) part. So, this is liable to collapse and cause airway obstruction.

As the air way collapses the lungs do not have air entry leading to deoxygenation (decreased oxygen) of blood and the person wakes up. This period of non entry of air is called ‘Apnea’ and the waking up is called an ‘Arousal’. This keeps alternating and the person may not actually wake up all the time, but these repeated arousals can disturb the sleep architecture and cause fatigue, headaches and daytime sleepiness. These people are also more prone for Hypertension. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more common in people who snore.

I would advise you to consult a sleep specialist who would assess with first a sleep questionnaire, and then he may ask for a polysomnogram, which is an overnight sleep study as this helps to detect the apneas. Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) where air under gentle pressure is passed into the airways keeping it patent.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[deesan]

Thank you Paderla