Information on OSA

I Need My Sleep - What Happens While I’m Asleep?

» Respiratory arrest known as sleep apnoea
   » How do I know if it’s sleep apnoea?
   » In their own words
   » What is sleep apnoea?
   » What are the consequences of my sleep apnoea?

» Sleep apnoea syndrome diagnosis
   » How will my sleep be examined?
   » What happens while I’m asleep?

» Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
   » What treatment choices are there? 

» Questions and Answers, Tips and Tricks
   » Patients tell of their experiences
   » What should I pay attention to?
   » How should I handle the technology?
   » Answers to my questions

What Happens While I’m Asleep?

Healthy sleep is characterized by a certain physiological structure which is divided into definite sleep stages:
• Wake phase
• Sleep stage 1 or falling asleep phase
• Sleep stage 2 or light sleep phase
• Deep sleep phase 3
• Deep sleep phase 4
• REM or dream phase (REM = Rapid Eye Movement)

Someone suffering from sleep apnoea hardly ever reaches the deep sleep phase since he is often disturbed by the arousals working as the body’s emergency reaction.  Dream sleep is also often minimized and disrupted.  This has, of course, a negative effect on the patient’s condition during the day.  If obstructive sleep apnoea is diagnosed after an examination night in the sleep lab, the patient will receive the type of therapy suitable for him - a CPAP device.  During the night, each person normally goes through four to six sleep cycles which consist of a certain portion of individual phases in different sleep stages.  Each ‘run through’ lasts about 90 minutes.  While deep sleep phases are essential for the body’s recuperation, the REM phases are necessary for the processing of mental and emotional events of the day.  Tension in the muscles (muscle tone) is lower in deep sleep stages than in sleep stages 1 and 2.  REM sleep has the lowest muscle tone of all.  At this point we have vivid dreams, evidenced by the rapid eye movements that give this stage its name.

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For decades Weinmann has been developing, producing and marketing medical devices for markets around the world. In cooperation with our partners Weinmann design economic health systems
for diagnosis and therapy in Sleep Medicine, Home Mechanical Ventilation, Oxygen Medicine and Emergency Medicine.

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