Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain - and the rest of the body - may not get enough .
There are two types of sleep apnea:
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The more common of the two forms of apnea, it is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft in the back of the throat collapses during sleep.
• Central sleep apnea: Unlike OSA, the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe, due to instability in the respiratory center.

Sleep apnea can affect anyone at age, even children. Risk factors for sleep apnea include:
• Being male
• Being overweight
• Being age 40
• Having a large neck size
• Having large tonsils, a large tongue, or a small bone
• Having a family of sleep apnea
• Gastroesophageal , or GERD
• Nasal obstruction due to a deviated , allergies, or sinus problems

If left untreated, sleep apnea can in a growing number of health problems, including:
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Heart failure, heart beats, and heart attacks
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Worsening of ADHD
• Headaches
In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be for poor performance in everyday activities, such as at work and school, motor crashes, and academic underachievement in children and adolescents.