One moment thunderous snoring, the next moment no breath—this is no exaggeration. Sleep apnea syndrome is a condition increasingly affecting Chinese individuals, colloquially described as pathological snoring. Symptoms include sudden cessation of loud snoring, followed by a prolonged pause before a "puff" of exhaled breath, or even gasping for air and waking abruptly from suffocation.Today we'll discuss sleep-related breathing disorders, snoring, and sleep quality issues.
What is sleep apnea syndrome?
A single episode of sleep apnea is defined as a cessation of nasal or oral airflow lasting over ten seconds, accompanied by a four-percent drop in baseline oxygen saturation levels.Sleep apnea syndrome is diagnosed when sleep monitoring reveals five or more pauses per hour, accompanied by daytime sleepiness and fatigue in the patient. Family members may notice the patient waking gasping for air during sleep. It is also associated with conditions such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cognitive impairment."Five apneas per hour, along with any one symptom or complication, is sufficient for diagnosing sleep apnea syndrome," stated Zhang Liqiang, Chief Physician of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Peking University Third Hospital.
Not all snoring indicates sleep apnea syndrome
Snoring in sleep apnea patients exhibits distinct characteristics: First, it is exceptionally loud. Second, it is highly irregular—intermittent, fluctuating in volume, often ceasing after several snores followed by ten to several tens of seconds of silence before resuming with a very loud snore, repeating the cycle.
What constitutes normal sleep?
Generally, normal sleep should meet at least two criteria: First, sufficient duration. Children aged 7 to 15 require 9 to 10 hours of sleep; adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 20 typically need 8 to 9 hours; adults generally require 7 to 8 hours; older adults need less, usually 6 to 7 hours; infants and toddlers require significantly more, often 10 to 20+ hours.
Second, sleep quality must be good. How do we evaluate this? Generally, we consider sleep to be good when fatigue disappears after waking, the mind is clear, energy is abundant, the body feels very comfortable, and one is highly capable of handling work and studies. Daily life can also be used to judge whether your sleep is good based on these points.