Apnea is Greek for "without breath." Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition in which a person's muscles and tissues in the throat and air passage relax while sleeping. The tissues impede the flow of air into the lungs due to the blockage of the airway. This can occur many times per night in the sleep cycle, especially during the REM sleep stages.

The scientific standard for an apneic event is when you stop breathing for at least 10 seconds. There must be an overall blood oxygen desaturation level of 3 to 4 percent along with certain potential changes in EEG frequencies and data. If a person has 5 or more of any type of event per hour of sleep, then they are clinically diagnosed with sleep apnea.

The body responds to the lack of oxygen by arousing, or waking, from sleep. This cycle leads to the person being unable to get the needed quantity of restful sleep and may result in:

• Constant Fatigue
• Difficulty Focusing
• Irritability

Untreated Sleep Apnea is potentially fatal and frequently results in the following serious health problems:

• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes