Sleep apnea (apnoea) is a condition in which breathing stops for more than 10 seconds during sleep. As the condition is often unrecognized, sleep apnoea is a major cause of daytime sleepiness.
There are two forms of sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), breathing stops because tissue in the throat closes off the airway. In central sleep apnea, (CSA), the brain centers responsible for breathing fail to send messages to the breathing muscles. OSA is much more common than CSA. It is thought that about 1–10% of adults are affected by OSA; only about one tenth of that number have CSA. OSA can affect people of any age and of either sex, but it is most common in middle-aged, somewhat overweight men, especially those who use alcohol.
Floatface and Sleep Apnoea
Here at Floatface we aim to study the effects (and potential benefits) stomach sleeping may have on the sleep apnoea condition. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) may see a benefit from stomach sleeping, over sleeping on the back. Trials of the Floatface sleep system will help determine the overall gain and improvement in patient comfort over the more normal treatment of CPAP.
