Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing during their sleep. The period that the person does not breath is called an apnea, and may last 10 seconds or more. Many times, patients will not be aware that of these apneas, even though their sleep is disturbed. Patients suffering from sleep apnea may only notive symptoms sch as fatigue, depression, sleepiness during the day, etc. Apnea may be of the obstructive (usually caused by a restriction of the airways) or central (caused by a lapse in the signals to breath from the brain) type.

Apnea is more common in obese individuals, people who drink alcohol, and Downs Syndrome patients. If untreated, sleep apnea can be deadly, as it can cause heart failure, brain damage, etc.

Obscructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, is easily treated using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP. CPAP was first developed in 1981 by Colin Sullivan in Sydney, Australia. After some developments and improvements, this treatment method became widely accepted and used by the end of the 1980's.

A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine is designed to blow air at a specified pressure into the patients airways via a mask. Many patients are at first reluctant to try CPAP, due to its clumsy and inconvenient nature, but most patients become accommodated to the treatment relatively quickly. Also, CPAP is highly effective, and many patients will notice a remarkable difference in sleep the first night they use CPAP.

The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is also quite effective at treating snoring, as it is also caused by restrictions of the airways, much like obstructive sleep apnea. Note, though, that CPAP is not helpful in treating central sleep apnea.