Sleep Apnea

Emory Sleep Center has received accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. A team of board-certified sleep specialists, nurse practitioners with specialized training in sleep medicine and experienced sleep technologists staff the center. They work with you to create a personalized care plan that addresses your sleep apnea to help you sleep well.

Our doctors are leaders in sleep medicine. They offer novel and traditional therapies, including a one-stop shop for medical equipment often used to treat sleep apnea. They’re also engaged in research and work to improve care for all people with sleep disorders.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects your breathing during sleep. It causes periodic 10- to 60-second pauses in your breathing. This may happen hundreds of times each night without you realizing it.

Pauses in breathing may lower your blood oxygen levels and strain your heart. The condition is also associated with:

There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea.

OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat collapses and blocks your airway. This may cause you to stop breathing or to take shallow breaths during sleep.

Many things can contribute to airway blockages:

• Alcohol consumption before sleep
• An unusually large tongue
• Being overweight
• Excess tissue in your upper throat or nasal passages
• Large tonsils
• The position of your jaw in proportion to your air passage

Watch a Video from Your Fantastic Mind on Sleep Apnea:

A blocked airway does not cause central sleep apnea. Instead, the condition is related to other health problems. These may include issues affecting your brain, stroke or heart problems.

There are a variety of symptoms associated with sleep apnea. Some of these you may recognize yourself. But other people may notice certain signs and symptoms you do not. Symptoms include:

• Daytime sleepiness or trouble staying awake
• Difficulty remembering things or concentrating
• Feeling unrefreshed upon waking up
• Having a headache in the morning
• Irritability due to fatigue
• Loud snoring followed by a period of silence
• Night sweats
• Restless sleep or trouble staying asleep
• Waking up during the night gasping or choking

Sleep apnea is more common in men than women. Risk factors include:

• Being overweight
• Having others in your family with the condition
• Older age

There are different ways to test for sleep apnea:

• A sleep study, or polysomnogram, records various body functions using equipment attached to you while you sleep. Staff monitors you, observing your brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate and rhythm, and more. The test usually takes place during an overnight stay at Emory Sleep Center.
  
  
• Home sleep apnea testing allows us to diagnose OSA without an overnight Sleep Center visit. Our team instructs you how to apply and use equipment in your home or hospital room. This test isn’t right for everyone, but when appropriate, it can be more convenient than a polysomnogram.
  
  
• If your sleep apnea is severe, your doctor may order a positive airway pressure titration study to initiate treatment or during your initial sleep study. It involves sleeping while wearing a CPAP machine. A sleep technologist will adjust the machine without awakening you to identify the most helpful treatment levels.