Visit one of our Sleep Clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane or Perth For a Sleep Apnea Test

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea (also spelt sleep apnoea) is a common sleep disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, when normal breathing resumes, this can sometimes begin with a loud snort or choking sound.

Your breathing is affected most often when the muscles that control the upper airway relax too much during sleep. If they relax too much, the upper airway narrows and you may begin to snore. If the airway narrows even further it may become completely blocked and you temporarily stop breathing. This ‘obstructive’ apnea can last for ten seconds or more, it may happen frequently and even several hundred times a night.

Common symptoms in sleep apnea sufferers

Common Male Sleep Apnea Symptoms:

Fatigue / excessive daytime sleepiness
Heavy snoring
Poor concentration
Poor memory
Low Energy
Waking up unrefreshed
Gasping / interrupted breathing while asleep

Common Female Sleep Apnea Symptoms:

Fatigue / excessive daytime sleepiness
Heavy snoring
Insomnia
Restless legs
Morning headaches
Muscle pain
Depressed mood
Waking up unrefreshed
Gasping / interrupted breathing while asleep

Other Health Risks

When you experience breathing problems while sleeping as a result of this condition, extra strain is repeatedly placed on the brain, heart and other vital organs. Every time an apnea occurs, your body increases its effort to breathe and your organs struggle for oxygen. Over long periods of time, the lack of oxygen and strain on the body can take its toll. Some of the other known risks linked to the disorder are hypertension, obesity, stroke, heart attack, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and increased susceptibility to motor vehicle accidents. Many sufferers today are looking for a sleep apnea cure and treatment is the only way to eliminate these symptoms. It is recommended to seek sleep apnea solutions as soon as possible to avoid further complications. At ResSleep, you can find a range of sleep and snoring solutions that can help improve your sleep’s quality.

Sleep Apnea's Effects on Daily Life

The fatigue, daytime sleepiness, poor concentration, low energy and depressed mood caused by the disorder can have a major impact on your everyday life. These symptoms should signal the need for sleep apnea solutions. In addition to complications with work, family and friends, one of the greatest concerns with these symptoms is the risk associated with motor vehicle accidents. With its serious health risks, many are in search of a sleep apnea cure.

A number of studies on this condition in Australia have highlighted its relationship with the increased risk of motor vehicle accidents. Austroads cited a number of studies in their 'Fitness to Drive Guidelines' (Austroads 2006) which indicated that:

People with this condition are two to seven times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident than people without the condition; and
The disorder impairs driving performance to a similar extent to illegal alcohol consumption or sleep deprivation

When patients undergo treatment and find sleep apnea solutions, these risks greatly decrease.

What are the common causes of this condition?

Throat muscle weakness causing the throat or tongue to relax more than normal when sleeping
Obesity, especially around the throat and neck
Obstruction in the nasal passageway or nasal congestion
Consumption of alcohol or drugs
Sleeping on your back
Pregnancy

Swollen adenoids or tonsils, especially in children
Medications, including sleeping tablets
Ageing, as your throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone decreases
Small upper airway
Shape of your head and neck, as it may create a smaller than normal airway

How to Know if You Have Sleep Apnea

Doctors are unable to diagnose the disorder during a routine visit with a simple blood test or examination. Making an accurate diagnosis is important to determine the right sleep apnea solutions for you. The only way to test for a cause to your breathing problems while sleeping is through a sleep test. Aside from providing quality solutions for sleep apnea, we at ResSleep offer a sleep test that can be administered in the comfort of your own home. This is rapidly becoming the preferred way to test for the condition across Australia, as patients realise how simple it is. While we have sleep clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, the ease of this take home sleep apnea test can replace a need to come in for your test. To find out if you should complete a test, take our sleep assessment.

Step 1

If you would like to claim the Medicare rebate, it is necessary to get a referral from your GP. Just click here to download a printable referral form for your GP to fill out. Please be sure to bring this with you for your sleep apnea home test.

Step 2

If you’re searching for a sleep apnea cure, come into one of our modern, nationwide clinics to see a trained Sleep Therapy Consultant who will guide you through the home test process and equipment. You'll take home a small device to record information about your sleeping habits. This test will help identify the reasons for your breathing problems while sleeping. It will measure factors like snoring, frequency of apneas, oxygen levels, sleeping positions, and more. After a thorough evaluation, therapists can determine the right solutions for sleep apnea.

Step 3

On your way to finding a sleep apnea cure, an independent Sleep Physician will analyse the results of your test and issue a diagnosis and treatment recommendation report. This type of is a doctor who specialises in treating patients with snoring and other sleep disorders, and who is qualified to help sufferers make an informed decision when choosing solutions for the disorder. A highly trained Sleep Therapy Consultant will then meet with you and discuss your test results as well as some sleep apnea solutions. While there is no sleep apnea cure, there are numerous solutions for the condition, such as the use of CPAP machines, that can be used to treat the condition.

Suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, poor concentration or poor memory?

These symptoms could mean you have sleep apnea.