Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, fragmenting rest and lowering blood oxygen.

The common obstructive form occurs when throat muscles relax and the airway collapses, producing loud snoring, gasping and pauses that a bed partner may notice. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, arises when the brain fails to send steady breathing signals. Daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, dry mouth, irritability and difficulty concentrating are typical consequences. Risk rises with excess weight, age, male sex, a large neck and a family history, and untreated apnea is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Diagnosis requires a sleep study, either overnight polysomnography in a laboratory or a home test, which counts breathing events per hour to grade severity. Positive airway pressure devices and oral appliances are the established approaches. Cannabinoids have been studied in early research related to breathing during sleep, and there is no approved use.