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Sleep

If you're having trouble staying awake while reading this article, then you might have trouble sleeping.

People who feel exhausted during the day may suffer from a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea. This form of interrupted sleep affects about 4 percent of middle-aged women and 2 percent of middle-aged men. It can have harmful consequences.

That's because the body needs sleep for rest and rejuvenation. "Sleep is an essential part of your life. If your sleep is disrupted or you do not have enough sleep, you'll be less alert during the day and perhaps suffer serious consequences for your health in general," says Vishesh K. Kapur, M.D., an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Sleep specialists such as Dr. Kapur treat a variety of sleep disorders, ranging from narcolepsy to insomnia. There is also a periodic leg movement disorder, in which people twitch their legs so much at night that they are unable to enter deep sleep. People are often unaware they have this problem. They may only know they have it because their partner complains that the person is kicking them at night.

Similarly, in sleep apnea, it may be the bed partner who notices the problem first. Often, its victims do not know they have a sleep disorder. They only know they wake up wishing that they could go back to bed. They may also not get enough sleep to begin with, a common problem in today's society, Dr. Kapur says. They may assume their problem is that they need more sleep, and take naps in the afternoon or sleep extra long hours on weekends. But the real problem is their quality of sleep.

It's often up to the bed partner to notice the chief symptom of sleep apnea: noise. The reason the partner will notice is because of what happens to the other person's breathing -- or rather, snoring. What makes apnea different from snoring is that in apnea, the windpipe narrows so much that the person simply stops breathing. This disruption prevents the sufferer from getting high-quality sleep.

Many snorers have apnea. There is first the distinctive, rhythmic snoring sound. There's the regular snore -- then a pause. The person has stopped breathing. Then the air rushes back in with a distinctive, loud snort, and then a breath. Many people do this a few times an hour, Dr. Kapur says, and that's OK if they feel all right in the morning. But apnea needs treatment if the person stops breathing dozens of times an hour, and wakes up exhausted.

One of the chief causes of apnea is obesity. The weight of an obese chin presses down on what is already a narrow airway to begin with, Dr. Kapur says. But thin people can get apnea, too. In part, it's a sign of aging. The muscles simply become loose.

The first thing to do if you think you have apnea or any other sleep disorder is to discuss the matter with your physician. He or she may refer you to a sleep specialist. The sleep specialist will interview you. If the sleep disorder is affecting your life or threatening your health, you may be invited into a sleep lab.

There, you'll be connected to monitors and fall asleep in a comfortable bedroom. Staff will measure everything from your breathing and brain waves to the tone of your chin muscles. As you doze, they'll diagnose you.