Resources for Patients and Families

Information about Sleep Disorders

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a general term for airflow during sleep that either stops (apnea1) or is reduced (hypopnea2).

Apneas and Hypopneas:

• are a health risk as they may cause blood oxygen levels to drop
• result from upper airway obstruction (full or partial) or problems with the body's automatic drive to breathe
• cause sleep arousals. These:
  • are moments when you wake enough to start breathing again but not enough to remember any interruption of sleep
  • may make you shift into a lighter stage of sleep
  • lessen your quality of sleep

• Read more about Sleep Apnoea

• Find out more about other Sleep Disorders

3. Helpful Web Sites

  A breath of fresh air for women        http: www.feelgoodsleep.com

Find out more about the link between sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes at www.healthysleepanddiabetes.com

References

1. Apnea: airflow that stops for ten seconds or longer
2. Hypopnea: 50% or greater decrease in air flow for ten seconds or longer.