Sleep related breathing disorders affect millions of people around the world. These disorders can be described as breathing abnormalities that occur in individuals only during the process of sleep. The abnormalities may stem from a variety of disorders and/or ailments that unfortunately may lead to serious health problems as a result if not treated properly.

In gaining understanding of what types of breathing disorders exist, outlining the most common disorders that take place is essential. One of the most common problems that most people are well aware of is snoring. While snoring in itself may appear to be a harmless occurrence, it can be a precursor of an underlying disorder. When snoring occurs, there is a brief obstruction of the airway, causing the soft palette to vibrate as air attempts to pass through it.

Snoring interrupts the nocturnal cycle and may raise the blood pressure in the snorer due to the extra work the heart is placed under because insufficient oxygen is reaching the bloodstream. There are many methods to reduce snoring.

One of the main remedies for snoring is weight loss. Excessive weight can accumulate around the neck region and create breathing difficulties and snoring. Less weight around the neck will improve breathing and reduce snoring. There are also breathing strips that are applied to the outer bridge of the nose which in essence help to keep open the sinuses. This is effective mainly for individuals who suffer from sinus and allergy problems.

A very serious health related breathing disorder is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be described as cessation in breathing for a period of time during sleep which results in the airway closing itself off. During the apnea episode, the sufferer will gasp for breath and usually will awaken in a startled physical state. This creates many gaps in rest, which will ultimately cause daytime sleepiness. Apnea may cause heart problems such as cardiac arrhythmia, elevated blood pressure, blood clots and general fatigue. Prolonged sleep deprivation due to this condition may impair the immune system.

The typical medical treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The CPAP machines create air pressure which keeps the airway open for proper breathing to occur during sleep. With the use of CPAP masks, sleep patterns tend to return to normal. It also lessens daytime sleepiness for the individual. The benefits of using this device outweighs the negative aspects of the machine, which may be comfort complaints from the individual.