Sleep apnea is possibly the most commonly seen of all sleep disorders and affects approximately eighteen million people in the United States. A sleeping disorder which is characterized by broken breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is also without question the most dangerous of all sleep disorders as it starves the brain of critical oxygen and can occasionally prove to be fatal.

There are two very distinct forms of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is basically a neurological disorder in which the breathing is broken as a result of signals sent out by the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea is essentially a mechanical problem where the windpipe is obstructed either by excessive tissue or as a result of the abnormal relaxation or collapse of muscle tissue in and around the windpipe. In both cases however the results are essentially the same with numerous interruptions to the breathing which starve the brain of oxygen and put the sufferer at greater risk from such things as hypertension, stroke and heart attack.

Unluckily, diagnosing sleep apnea can prove difficult because snoring, which is a common symptom and frequently results in sleep apnea being referred to as the snoring disease, is also present as a symptom of many other medical conditions. Snoring is certainly generally seen with sleep apnea as the brain reacts to a lack of oxygen by awakening the sufferer sufficiently to restart breathing and this generally causes snoring.

This repeated awakening during the night also causes a very poor quality of sleep and it is not at all uncommon for sufferers to get up in the morning feeling even more tired than they were when they went to bed. This also leads to a feeling of sheer exhaustion during the day and a great desire to sleep.

But, tiredness arising from poor quality sleep is just part of the problem and a range of other symptoms will normally be present including headaches in the morning, a lack of memory and a problem in maintaining concentration.

Left untreated the growing exhaustion resulting from sleep apnea may produce severe psychological difficulties starting with simple tetchiness and moving on to depression with obvious changes in both mood and behavior.

Both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea can be treated and, as long as the condition is diagnosed early enough, this treatment can often be relatively easy. For example, mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea arising out of nasal congestion can often be treated with little more than decongestants. Also, a lot of cases of sleep apnea which are not especially serious can be treated with a mask which is worn while sleeping and that provides air at a constant pressure in order to keep the airway open. Lastly, in the most severe cases of sleep apnea surgery may be necessary and can be extremely effective, although it can also result in some complications and needs to be approached with caution.

Possibly the most important thing to bear in mind when treating sleep apnea is that as it carries the potentially fatal risk of respiratory failure sufferers ought not to be tempted to take sleeping pills or to use other forms of artificial sleep enhancers without first seeking the approval of a doctor.

Natural sleep remedies undoubtedly provide an effective complement to medically prescribed medicines and herbal remedies that are intended to improve both the duration and quality of sleep may well help in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness usually brought on by sleep apnea. Similarly, such things as aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help in reducing the anxiety and insomnia which go along with sleep apnea.

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