The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (Osas), a disorder with serious and hazardous consequences for the patient’s physical and psychological wellness, is one of the causes of snoring.
Apnoeas not only consist in frequent and temporary breathing obstructions which lead to frequent awakenings during the night (or poor sleep) but above all insufficient oxygenation. Apnoeas during sleep may last for 10-40 seconds and may reoccur hundreds of times during the night.

Obstructive apnea

Apnoeas are classified as obstructive apneas (obstruction of the passage of air through the neck regardless of nerve signals, and the activity of the breathing muscles), central apnoeas (due to lack of nerve signals sent from the nervous centre to the breathing muscles, hence the air is not inhaled into the chest) and mixed apnoeas (combining both obstructive and central apnoeas).

The sleep apnoea syndrome requires monitoring in that it has negative impact on the organs that require oxygen most: the heart and the nervous system.