We’ve all heard of sleep apnea but we may not be aware of how common it is. In fact it is possible to suffer from some type of sleep apnea and not even be aware of it. What follows is a brief synopsis of what might be possible causes and who may be affected.

Did you know that many times people can avoid having sleep apnea? If you are someone that experiences shortness of breath when you wake at night, you may actually have a form of sleep apnea that is much rarer – called central sleep apnea. This condition is one in which the brain fails to tell your muscles to breath. Nevertheless, the more common type of sleep apnea is that of obstructive sleep apnea. In this situation, individuals have something blocking their air ways and although they are trying to breath, they can’t do it.

But, what makes you a candidate for this condition? There are actually several things that could be causing you to face this illness.

Overweight. If you are overweight, excess weight may be playing a role in the problem. If you have extra weight that develops around the upper airway of your body, you may face obstruction in your breathing which can lead to sleep apnea. Although you may not be overweight, if enough weight develops in this specific area you may be affected – (you don’t have to look overweight to have to deal with it.)

The size of your neck. Those that have a larger sized neck may also fall victim to sleep apnea. If you have a neck that is larger than 17 inches in its circumference, then you have an increased chance to have sleep apnea.

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