Apnea Events
events per hour
Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and restarts during sleep. This metric captures detected apnea events across the night.
Typical optimal range 0 /hr - 5 /hr
Population median 3 /hr
Key factors
- Sleep position
- Body weight and neck circumference
- Nasal congestion and airway anatomy
What affects this metric
- Weight gain worsens events, and weight loss reliably reduces them.
- Risk rises with age, and is higher in men than in women.
- Nasal and jaw structure affect how often the airway collapses.
- Body weight and neck circumference are the strongest structural factors.
- Alcohol and sedatives relax airway muscles and increase events.
- Back sleeping increases events compared with side sleeping.
- Nasal congestion and allergies worsen them.
References
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the key factors, contributing factors, and typical optimal range shown above.
- Kapur VK, Auckley DH, Chowdhuri S, et al.. Clinical practice guideline for diagnostic testing for adult obstructive sleep apnea: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017;13(3):479–504. doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6506
- Joosten SA, O'Driscoll DM, Berger PJ, Hamilton GS. Supine position related obstructive sleep apnea in adults: pathogenesis and treatment. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2014;18(1):7–17. doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2013.01.005
- Peppard PE, Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, Skatrud J. Longitudinal study of moderate weight change and sleep-disordered breathing. JAMA. 2000;284(23):3015–3021. doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.23.3015
- Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2013;37(4):539–549. doi.org/10.1111/acer.12006
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician about your own results.