Sleep apnea is a disorder whereby the normal breathing of an individual is interrupted during their sleep cycles.  The airway becomes obstructed by either the soft palate, the tongue, or both which does not allow the sufferer to sleep evenly throughout the night.  Many times this condition stops a person's ability to breathe all together which sends signals to the brain to wake them up with a fight-or-flight response, thus interrupting the sleep cycle.  Some risk factors include a large tongue/soft palate, obesity, increased age, family history, and chronic smoking/alcohol use.  If you snore or do not get a constant, restful sleep at night; perhaps you are suffering from sleep apnea.  Our doctors often manage sleep apnea with a sleep appliance but routinely recommend a sleep study first to gauge the severity of the condition.

For more information follow the link below

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/s/sleep-apnea-and-snoring