You usually awake abruptly due to the progressive rise in the level of carbon dioxide in your blood and the accompanying drop in your level of oxygen. Risk Factors Sleep apnea may occur if you' re young, old, male or female. But certain factors may put you more at risk. A fat or thick neck tends to narrow the airway in your throat. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids, which also block your airway.
Men are more likely than women to suffer from sleep apnea.
Being age 40 or older. Most sleep apnea occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 70. Your doctor may make an evaluation based on your symptoms or may refer you to a sleep disorder center, where an evaluation often involves the overnight monitoring of your breathing and other body functions during sleep. During a test called polysomnography, you are hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart, lung and brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements, and blood oxygen levels. Because treatments for other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and insomnia differ, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis.