Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which you stop breathing for short periods during the night. It interrupts your rest, causing daytime sleepiness, mood changes and difficulty concentrating. Untreated, it increases your risk for serious health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.The most common type of  sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, in which your airway becomes constricted or blocked during sleep.

The pauses in breathing last for seconds to minutes, and may be accompanied by choking or snoring. After a period of time, you will wake up and start breathing normally again. This cycle can occur 30 times or more per hour, resulting in poor quality sleep and a negative impact on your health.

Obstructive sleep apnea affects both men and women, but it is more likely to happen in males and in people who are overweight. It is also more common in people who have a family history of the condition, or with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Infants born preterm are also more likely to have sleep apnea, but this usually resolves with age. It is more common in black and Hispanic people than white people, and in women who are postmenopausal or using hormone replacement therapy.

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to many long-term health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and stroke. It can also make driving or operating machinery dangerous, and cause erratic heart rhythms or an irregular heartbeat. Poor quality sleep can also contribute to weight gain and make you more susceptible to infections, like the common cold or flu.

There are a number of treatments for sleep apnea, including lifestyle changes and surgery. Weight loss, changing your sleeping habits, and stopping the use of tobacco and alcohol all can help. Many people find a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device to be effective, which involves wearing a mask while you sleep, and a machine that delivers pressurized air into your throat. You can get a CPAP at your local medical supply store, or you can hire a professional technician to fit you for one.

For severe obstructive sleep apnea, you may need to have a tracheostomy, in which a surgeon creates a new airway by making an opening in your neck and inserting a tube that you can breathe through. You will cover it during waking hours, and open it to help you breath while you sleep. If you are overweight, surgery to remove your tonsils or adenoids can lessen snoring and aid your treatment of sleep apnea as well. You can also try a mouthpiece that fits in the upper palate or a mandibular advancement splint, which pulls your lower jaw forward to give you more space in the throat. A number of technological advances are being made, with sensors embedded in equipment that can gather data and send it to your doctor.