Sleep apnoea is a sleeping disorder that often goes unrecognised for a long time. It is a serious condition that can significantly impact your health and wellbeing. If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnoea, know that, with the right treatment approach, there is relief.
Our multi-disciplinary team will diagnose the severity of your sleep apnoea and guide you towards the best treatment for your condition. Whether you require clinical treatment such as CPAP therapy, surgery or simply need to adjust your lifestyle, our team of experts provide ongoing support throughout your journey.
At Auckland Sleep we go beyond managing the symptoms of sleep apnoea. Our goal is to address the root cause of your condition to provide long-term relief.
Our treatment approachSleep apnoea is a condition where your airway becomes fully or partially blocked, causing you to stop and start breathing. Characterised by loud snoring, snorting, and gasping, sleep apnoea impairs your ability to reach a restful phase of sleep.
There are two types of sleep apnoea:
Sleep apnoea is a potentially serious condition. A person who is experiencing sleep apnoea has little or no air entering their lungs, meaning the oxygen levels in their blood drop.
If you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnoea, we highly recommend you book an appointment with a physician.
The symptoms of sleep apnoea are often first recognised by a bed partner. Sufferers of sleep apnoea may not realise they have a problem with sleep, attributing the negative symptoms to something else.
While anyone can develop sleep apnoea, some people are more susceptible than others. Several factors can increase your risk of sleep apnoea, including:
For moderate to severe cases of obstructive sleep apnoea, clinical therapies are used to relieve symptoms. Common treatments for sleep apnoea include the following:
Studies reveal a strong correlation between lifestyle changes and sleep apnoea treatment success. Even those who have seen success with clinical treatment can see their improvements regress when returning to unhealthy habits or routines.
In many cases, lifestyle adjustments will treat the cause of sleep apnoea, rather than just relieve symptoms. In the long run, you will notice improvements in your sleep quality when you:
Many things can cause disrupted sleep. This can make diagnosing sleep apnoea difficult. If you suspect you may have sleep apnoea, you should make an appointment to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist (an otolaryngologist). We recommend that your partner comes with you to the appointment as they can often describe your symptoms in greater detail.
At the appointment, the otolaryngologist will look at your throat for signs of narrowing and may perform tests to confirm a sleep apnoea diagnosis. These tests may require an overnight stay where you are monitored while you sleep. This will determine whether you have sleep apnoea and how severe the condition is.
Get a diagnosisIf you are worried about your sleep apnoea, make an appointment to see our sleep specialist.
If you want to learn how your sleep apnoea is affecting you and what treatments can help, take our sleep test.
Auckland Sleep provides a multi-faceted approach to treating sleep disorders. Our goal is to provide the best possible sleep treatments, accessible to everyone in the community.