While sleeping, our muscles relax. Sleep apnea is caused when our neck muscles relax so much that the airway collapses and breathing is compromised—until we wake up and our muscles restore the shape of our airway—thus allowing us to breathe again.

During these episodes, our oxygen levels can drop to dangerous extremes. Apnea has been demonstrated to increase blood pressure during sleep by as much as 20 to 40 points above normal. It is hypothesized that these increases are behind what are known as “silent strokes,” which strip sufferers of cognitive ability in one small area of the brain at a time.

In addition, sleep apnea takes an enormous toll on our sleep quality. With sleep apnea, we can sleep only in small increments because we are continually awakening, preventing deep, REM sleep.