You've probably heard the term "sleep apnea" and may even realize it has something to do with not sleeping well. Unfortunately, if you suffer from this condition and aren't taking measures to do something about it, you could be putting your health, and even your life, at risk. Fortunately, there are many solutions for sleep apnea and some are as simple as sleeping on the right mattress.
Simply put, sleep apnea is the condition where breathing stops and starts during the night. This could be caused by a variety of reasons, but if you snore loudly, you're probably suffering from "obstructive" sleep apnea, although another type, central sleep apnea, can cause you to wake with a shortness of breath. Other symptoms include daytime sleepiness (even to the point you fall asleep at work or while watching TV), insomnia, morning headaches and waking up with a dry mouth and/or throat. You may even suffer from attention problems due to insufficient sleep.
Causes for obstructive apnea can be blocked sinus passages, or when the muscles in the throat relax causing a severe narrowing of your airway passages. Central apnea occurs when your brain doesn't transmit the signals to cause you to breathe. The most common reasons for this are almost always heart related.
While treatment for central apnea is going to be medical, either having some form of vascular surgery or taking a heart medication, the treatment for obstructive apnea could be switching to a mattress that is more conducive to better sleep patterns. A firmer mattress can keep your throat muscles from relaxing too much which could reduce or eliminate the apnea issues.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition and in order to make sure you're taking the best possible care of your body, you'll want to see a physician. If someone you care about stops breathing during the night or someone that cares about you tells you that you stop breathing, make an appointment and talk to a physician as soon as possible. Granted, you may only need to change your mattress, but you may also need to take other measures as well.