Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which there are repeated interruptions in the breathing of a person while sleeping.

There are three different types of sleep apnea: (1) obstructive sleep apnea (2) central sleep apnea and (3) complex sleep apnea syndrome.

The causes of sleep apnea may include: (1) muscular changes in the airway muscle leading to blockage, (2) excessive fat deposition and tissue growth in the airway tissues and (3) faulty breathing control/regulation by the brain.

The characteristic symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, repeated interruptions in breathing while sleeping, dry mouth, headache in morning, air gasping during sleep, loss of concentration in daytime, irritability, etc.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the blockage in the air passage by throat muscles and upper palate tissue. In contrast, central sleep apnea is caused when the brain is unable to send a signal to breathing muscles for relaxation while sleeping.