Sleep Apnoea

What is sleep apnoea?

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) — the most common type — occurs when the muscles in the throat relax during sleep, allowing the airway to narrow or collapse. Breathing stops for 10 seconds to over a minute, until the brain partially wakes the person to restore airway tone. This cycle can repeat dozens or even hundreds of times per night, profoundly fragmenting sleep without the person being aware of what is happening.

The person wakes feeling unrefreshed, excessively sleepy during the day, and often has no idea why — attributing it to stress, long hours, or poor sleep habits. A partner who observes loud snoring and gasping is often the first to raise the alarm.

Symptoms

• Loud, disruptive snoring — often the most noticed symptom by a partner
• Witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep, followed by gasping or choking
• Excessive daytime sleepiness — falling asleep in meetings, while reading, or even driving
• Waking unrefreshed despite a full night in bed
• Morning headaches — from overnight drops in blood oxygen
• Difficulty concentrating and memory problems
• Irritability and low mood
• Nocturia — waking to urinate multiple times per night

Risk factors

• Obesity — the most significant modifiable risk factor; excess fat around the neck narrows the airway
• Male sex — OSA is twice as common in men; post-menopausal women have similar risk to men
• Age — risk increases with age, particularly over 50
• Neck circumference greater than 40cm (16 inches)
• Alcohol — relaxes throat muscles and worsens OSA significantly
• Sedative medications — sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines worsen airway tone
• Anatomical factors — narrow airway, enlarged tonsils, recessed jaw

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you snore loudly, have been told you stop breathing during sleep, or experience excessive daytime sleepiness that is affecting your work, relationships, or safety. If you drive and suspect sleep apnoea, this is a legal and safety priority — untreated severe OSA significantly impairs driving ability.

Treatment options

• CPAP therapy — continuous positive airway pressure; delivers pressurised air through a mask to keep the airway open during sleep; the gold-standard treatment and highly effective
• Mandibular advancement device (MAD) — a dental appliance that holds the jaw forward to keep the airway open; effective for mild-moderate OSA
• Weight loss — significant weight loss can resolve OSA entirely in overweight patients
• Positional therapy — sleeping on your side rather than your back reduces OSA severity in positional cases
• Avoiding alcohol and sedatives
• Surgical options — tonsillectomy, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), or jaw surgery for anatomical causes

How eMedClinic can help

Our doctors assess sleep apnoea symptoms, arrange home sleep studies or polysomnography referrals, and help establish or continue CPAP therapy. We also support expats who have moved abroad and need to re-establish their sleep apnoea treatment — including prescriptions, equipment, and specialist referrals.