Listen to quiet music or watch a slow paced TV show. If these simple measures fail, see your health care provider. You may have a sleep disorder. The airway becomes blocked by the tongue, excesses tissue or relaxed throat muscles during sleep. Breathing usually stops for 10 to 90 seconds.
Breathing then begins again.
The person may wake hundreds of times per night. Waking does necessarily mean the person opens their eyes and then returns to sleep. It may simply lighten the person sleeping thus inhibiting the normal sleep cycle, thus interrupting good quality sleep. This can then make the person sleepy throughout the daytime hours. It usually affects adults over age 60.