Day Time Drowsiness In Sleep Apnea

Overview

Day time drowsiness is a common symptom in people with sleep apnea. They may fall asleep while watching television, driving or working. This is because sleep apnea causes the muscles in the back of the throat to relax too much that it impairs the breathing while they sleep. The brain senses this and wakes them up from sleep so that the airway reopens. This pattern repeats itself all night. This affects the quality of sleep and leaves people sleepy throughout the day. Day time drowsiness also affects performance at work or at school and puts people at risk of accidents. To overcome this problem, people are recommended to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise regularly and avoid sleeping on their backs. Other types of treatment include positive airway pressure, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tracheostomy, surgical removal of enlarged adenoids or tonsils, maxillomandibular advancement, insertion of implants in the soft palate and upper airway stimulation.