Sleep Apnea and Treatment in Burlington Sleep Apnea and Its Treatment in Burlington | Page 2

What is Sleep Apnea?
➢ When you sleep air travels through your nose and mouth, down the
throat and into your lungs.
➢ The narrowest part of the airway is at the junction where the soft
palate, the tongue and the back of the throat all compete for the same
space.
➢ When you are awake the muscles are tight keeping the airway open but
when you sleep these same muscles relax causing the airway to become
narrow.
➢ If the tongue falls back it causes the breathing to become slowed or
completely stopped, this condition is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea.