Sleep Disorders in Adults

Understanding sleep-related breathing disorders in Adults

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) occurs when the airway collapses during sleep, blocking airflow and disrupting breathing. While you're awake, muscles around your airway remain active and keep the throat open. However, during sleep—especially in individuals with OSA—these muscles relax too much, causing the airway to collapse and obstruct breathing. This often happens in the soft palate and base of the tongue, where there are no rigid structures like bone or cartilage to keep the airway open.

As a result, people with OSA may stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night, leading to poor oxygenation and disrupted sleep. Accurate diagnosis through proper evaluation and testing is essential.

OSA is a serious medical condition diagnosed by a sleep physician, but treatment can also be provided by a dentist trained in sleep-related breathing disorders. Diagnosis is typically done through a sleep study, either an in-lab Polysomnography (PSG) or a Home Sleep Test (HST). We’re happy to help coordinate these tests for our patients.

Common signs of OSA in adults include:

• Loud snoring
• Restless or poor-quality sleep
• Daytime fatigue or excessive sleepiness

Additional symptoms may include:

• Morning headaches
• Insomnia
• Trouble concentrating
• Mood changes such as irritability, anxiety and depression
• Memory loss
• Increased heart rate and/or blood pressure
• Decreased sex drive
• Unexplained weight gain
• Changes in urination
• Frequent heartburn and heavy night sweats

Think you might have sleep apnoea?‍

We encourage you to visit us for a consultation or take the Epworth Sleep Questionnaire to learn more.