Apnea is a cessation of airflow for 10 or more seconds. Patients with sleep apnea will have instances throughout the night -- five, ten, or even 20 or more per hour -- of ceasing to breathe for at least 10 seconds. These episodes will often jolt patients at least partly awake, although if the patients then immediately fall back asleep, they will not be conscious of having woken up multiple times during the night.

Because patients are constantly awakening to breathe, they do not remain asleep long enough to consistently achieve the key rapid eye movement (REM) state. As a result, although the quantity of time asleep they lose may not be too great, the condition leaves them disproportionately exhausted, because they are missing that most essential, restful REM state. They are also then prone to other serious health effects and risks associated with sleep deprivation, including nodding off during the day, such as when driving or working. The condition takes a toll on the ability to function on the job, and on one’s personal relationships. Patients suffering from this condition also suffer disproportionately from cardiac arrhythmias and low blood oxygen levels.

Connection Between Obesity and Sleep Apnea

Many factors have been established as correlated with sleep apnea. Males are significantly more prone to the condition. Post-menopausal women are more prone to the condition than are pre-menopausal women. Snorers suffer disproportionately from the condition.

By far, the most notable correlation is with obesity. An estimated 60 percent of patients suffering from sleep apnea are obese. The precise mechanism is not known, but the theory is that obese patients have enlarged tonsils, tongues and neck fat that obstruct the airway and hamper breathing.

It appears that the causation may run in the other direction as well. Satiety hormones are affected by sleep deprivation due to sleep apnea, which causes greater hunger and provokes patients to eat more, leading to greater obesity.

Treatment of Sleep Apnea

A common treatment for the condition is to wear a Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask. The CPAP mask is attached to a CPAP machine that generates positive air pressure to help keep the airway open. In some cases, surgery is used to widen the airway.

But another key treatment is simply weight loss. Given the association between the condition and obesity, treating the obesity can be particularly beneficial. Patients use diet, exercise, and even surgical gastric procedures to bring their weight down so as to reduce their vulnerability to the condition.