Types of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly disrupted during sleep. OSA occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, despite efforts to breathe. OSA can cause fragmented sleep and low blood oxygen levels. For people with this disorder, the combination of disturbed sleep and oxygen starvation may lead to hypertension, heart disease and mood and memory problems. It is also thought to have effects on unborn children if the mother snores during pregnancy.

Central Sleep Apnea is when the brain fails to properly control breathing during sleep. It is different from OSA because the problem is not caused by a blockage of the airway.

Complex Sleep Apnea exhibits characteristics of OSA, but upon application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the patient exhibits central sleep apnea. Historically, this has been managed either by CPAP or BiLevel therapy. Adaptive servo-ventilation modes of therapy have been introduced to manage complex sleep apnea.