"When a visit to the doctor revealed an alarming blood pressure number, despite his active life and healthy diet, Nick began to connect the dots with other symptoms he had been experiencing including frequent uncontrollable daytime tiredness, which led to micro sleeps in meetings and on public transport."
"Nick was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnoea a condition that occurs when the throat muscles relax too much during sleep, resulting in episodes of shallow breathing or breathing stopping."
"Snoring to sleep apnoea is a bit of a continuum, says Dr Linda Schachter, a sleep and respiratory physician and a member of the Sleep Health Foundation board. Snoring is the partial upper airway obstruction, and as the obstruction gets worse, you start developing sleep apnoea."
Nick used humor to manage his snoring during camping trips until age 37, when a doctor visit revealed dangerously high blood pressure despite his healthy lifestyle. He connected this to other symptoms including severe daytime tiredness and micro sleeps. A sleep study diagnosed him with severe obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where throat muscles relax excessively during sleep, causing breathing interruptions. The study revealed the need for a CPAP machine, which uses mild pressure to keep airways open. After his first night using the device, Nick experienced uninterrupted sleep he describes as revelatory. Sleep specialists explain that snoring exists on a continuum with sleep apnea, where partial airway obstruction progresses to more severe breathing problems.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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