Sleep apnea literally means “without breath” in Greek, which really describes these conditions. In general Sleep Apnea occurs when the individual stops breathing while sleeping, which can happen literally hundreds of times during the sleep cycle.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is usually due to a blockage of the airway, which means that the soft tissue in the back of the throat caves in and closes up during the sleep cycle. The process is much different than what happens in central sleep apnea. With this condition there is no blockage in the airway, however, the brain forgets to let the muscles know that it is time to breath. There is also a form of sleep Apnea called mixed apnea, which as the name suggest is a mix of these two conditions.

When the body stops breathing the brain briefly wakes up the individual so that they can start to breath normally again. This leads to a disjointed and fragmented sleep that often leaves the suffer feeling worn out and like they have not gotten enough sleep because they haven’t, and in fact they have been extremely busy during the night.

There are many potential causes of Central Sleep Apnea such as Encephalitis, Stroke, Poliomyelitis and Neurodegenerative diseases, as well as complications after surgery, especially to the cervical spine. Radiation treatments that are performed on or near the cervical spine can also cause this condition to appear.

There are many symptoms of Central Sleep Apnea such as stopping breathing during the night, recurrent awakenings and extreme sleepiness during daylight hours. Snoring is a big symptom for those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, but not with Central Sleep Apnea due to the nature of this variation.

Central Sleep Apnea is usually diagnosed through personal observation or observation by others. It can also be diagnosed in clinics which take part in overnight polygraphic sleep studies or by taking an MRI. Treatment for this rather serious issue varies from person to person. However, it can be treated with drugs that treat the underlying causes, such as Acerazlamide and Theophyllinr, which stimulate the need to breathe.

In other cases CPAP or continuous airway pressure is used, which is a machine that applies pressure to the inside of the individuals throat in order to encourage breathing. There are other drugs that are sometimes uses such as Protriptolyne and Klonopin. Still other individuals receive low dosages of oxygen throughout the night.

• There are many treatment options available

• Can cause extreme sleep deprivation
• Can cause cognitive and physical problems

The symptoms of Central Sleep Apnea include extreme sleepiness during the day, bad temper, reduced concentration, sleep deprivation, higher blood pressure than normal and heart disease. Clearly this serious condition should be diagnosed by a trained professional. However, some of these symptoms are also commonly found when individuals experience “normal” sleeplessness which is not attributed to sleep apnea.

Those individuals may want to seek out holistic supplementation which has been shown to be able to augment sleep and readjust sleep cycles. For instance, using Melatonin has been shown to be an amazing and natural method of readjusting the sleep cycle, which can be one of the underlying causes of insomnia or other sleep related issues. Melatonin supplementation has been shown to be an excellent way to generate a restful sleep.

Lemon Balm, is also an effective herbal sedative, has been shown to be able help those who have trouble sleeping achieve a restful and necessary deep sleep, because it eases the restlessness that often plagues those who experience sleep issues. We have seen the most productive sleep aids incorporate these two heavy hitting elements in their formulas for maximum results that consumers can take to bed with them.