For NIU students who fall asleep as their heads hit their pillows, imagine a life where falling asleep could be potentially deadly.

Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. Twelve million Americans of all ages and sexes suffer from the disorder.

Kathleen McCann, the communication manager at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in Westchester said it can happen a few times or several hundred times a night.

Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder treated at sleep centers and sleep laboratories.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the muscles inside the throat collapse during sleep. Gravity causes the tongue to fall back and block the airway.

OSA is most common in obese, middle-age men. Many OSA patients also have high blood pressure.

“A man’s neck gets thicker as he gains weight,” McCann said. “This increases the level of fat in the back of the throat. With more fat in the throat, a man’s airway is more likely to be blocked.”

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is another form of sleep apnea.

“CSA occurs when the brain fails to tell the lungs to breathe,” McCann said. “As this signal is lost, the lungs do not take in the oxygen that your body needs. This happens most often as people are falling asleep.”

Many OSA patients are tired during the day. An OSA patient’s sleep is disrupted when he or she stops breathing, McCann said. The patient wakes up, but briefly and not enough to be aware of it.

“About half of people who snore loudly have OSA,” McCann said. “Snoring is a sign that your airway is being partially blocked. While you may not think you snore, ask the person you sleep with.”

Loud snoring is not a factor with CSA. Patients may not know they have it unless someone watches them as they sleep.

CSA may be a result of a stroke or heart disease. Many older people have episodes of CSA without major consequence.

Sleep apnea treatment is common in the United States.

“These are serious disorders that need to be treated,” McCann said. “Sleep specialists have training and expertise in this area. They will review your history and symptoms and, if needed, they will schedule you for an overnight sleep study.”

While individuals require varying amounts of sleep, most adults require between seven and eight hours each night.

Cathy Carlson, an NIU nursing instructor, said sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“Sleep is very important for students as it filters, sorts and organizes the day’s learning and activities so students are readily able to solve problems and gain new insights during subsequent days,” she said.