WINNIPEG — Being groggy and tired or having trouble concentrating may be the norm for many people, but it can also be a sign of a sleep disorder.
March 2-9 is National Sleep Awareness Week.
More than 80 per cent of sleep apnea sufferers go undiagnosed and without treatment, this disorder can have major impacts.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a type of sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of shallow or infrequent breathing during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from at least 10 seconds to several minutes, and may occur five to 30 times or more an hour.
OSA is a chronic condition which requires a lifelong approach to treatment.
People whose OSA isn’t treated are 58 per cent more likely to develop heart failure, 76 per cent more likely to have a stroke and 189 per cent more likely to develop hypertension.
RANA Sleep Apnea Clinic in Winnipeg has an online Stop Bang test to help determine your risk of sleep disorders.
It includes snoring, your age, gender and neck circumference. To test yourself go to www.towakeup.ca.
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