Sleep quality is essential to a properly functioning mind and body, but patients suffering from sleep apnea may very well not be getting the deep sleep they need.
With sleep apnea, a patient stops breathing for short periods. These momentary pauses in breath trigger a reflex in the body to startle the sleeper awake, just enough for them to take a breath. Sleep apnea patients don’t regain full consciousness during these brief arousals, so you won’t recall them. However, the sleep cycle still gets interrupted several times each night, leading to chronic fatigue, low energy, poor concentration, irritability, and many other health concerns. Here, Dr. Schalch Lepe discusses the different stages of sleep and how sleep apnea prevents patients from getting the full sleep cycle they need.