Speak To An Expert
Get clear, personalised advice for your situation.
Jot down a few questions to make the most of your conversation.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is a condition that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses can happen many times a night and may leave a person feeling very tired during the day.
There are two main types: obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea. They may cause some similar symptoms, but the reason they happen is different.
How obstructive sleep apnoea works
Obstructive sleep apnoea is the more common type. It happens when the airway becomes partly or completely blocked while asleep, usually because the throat muscles relax too much.
Breathing effort continues, but air cannot flow properly through the narrowed airway. This can lead to snoring, choking or gasping during sleep.
In the UK, obstructive sleep apnoea is often linked with being overweight, having a larger neck, drinking alcohol in the evening, or sleeping on the back. It may also be more likely in people with nasal blockage or certain facial and jaw shapes.
How central sleep apnoea works
Central sleep apnoea is less common and has a different cause. In this condition, the brain does not send the correct signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Because the breathing drive briefly stops, there is no effort to breathe for a short time. This means the airway is not blocked, but breathing still pauses.
Central sleep apnoea is often associated with other health problems, such as heart failure, stroke, neurological conditions, or the use of certain medicines, including some strong painkillers.
The main differences
The key difference is where the problem starts. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a physical blockage in the airway, while central sleep apnoea is a problem with the brain’s breathing control.
People with obstructive sleep apnoea may snore loudly and make choking sounds. People with central sleep apnoea are less likely to snore, although they may still have broken sleep and daytime sleepiness.
Both conditions can lead to poor concentration, morning headaches and tiredness. Over time, untreated sleep apnoea may increase the risk of high blood pressure and other health issues.
Diagnosis and treatment
If sleep apnoea is suspected, a GP may arrange a referral to a sleep clinic or request a sleep study. This helps show whether breathing pauses are obstructive, central, or a mixture of both.
Treatment depends on the type. Obstructive sleep apnoea is often treated with weight loss, lifestyle changes, or CPAP therapy, which keeps the airway open using gentle air pressure.
Central sleep apnoea is managed by treating the underlying cause, such as heart disease or medication effects. Some people may need different breathing support devices, so a specialist assessment is important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Central sleep apnea starts when the brain does not send the proper breathing signal to the muscles, while obstructive sleep apnea starts when the airway becomes physically blocked even though the brain continues to signal breathing.
In central sleep apnea, pauses happen because of a loss of respiratory drive from the brain. In obstructive sleep apnea, pauses happen because the throat or upper airway collapses or narrows during sleep.
Both can cause disrupted sleep and gasping, but obstructive sleep apnea more often includes loud snoring and choking sounds, while central sleep apnea may have quieter pauses in breathing with less snoring.
Loud, frequent snoring is more typical of obstructive sleep apnea because of airway blockage. Central sleep apnea may have little or no snoring because the issue is reduced brain signaling rather than airway collapse.
Obstructive sleep apnea is more common and is often linked with excess weight, large neck size, and airway anatomy. Central sleep apnea is more often linked with heart failure, stroke, neurologic disease, opioid use, or high-altitude exposure.
Both can cause sleepiness, poor concentration, morning headaches, and fatigue. Obstructive sleep apnea often causes more sleep fragmentation from repeated airway obstruction, while central sleep apnea may be associated with unstable breathing patterns and underlying medical conditions.
A sleep study can show whether breathing stops because of absent effort or blocked effort. In central sleep apnea, breathing effort decreases or stops; in obstructive sleep apnea, effort continues against a closed or narrowed airway.
CPAP is commonly used for obstructive sleep apnea to keep the airway open. It may also help some people with central sleep apnea, but central sleep apnea sometimes requires different support, such as bilevel therapy, adaptive servo-ventilation, oxygen, or treatment of the underlying cause.
Weight loss can significantly improve obstructive sleep apnea because it can reduce airway narrowing. Weight loss is usually less directly effective for central sleep apnea unless weight-related factors are contributing to breathing instability or another related condition.
Obstructive sleep apnea can worsen when sleeping on the back and may be influenced by mouth breathing and jaw or tongue position. Central sleep apnea is less dependent on body position because it is driven more by the brain's breathing control.
Central sleep apnea is more commonly associated with heart failure, stroke, brainstem problems, and certain neurologic conditions. Obstructive sleep apnea is more commonly associated with anatomical narrowing of the upper airway and sleep-related muscle relaxation.
Opioids and some other medicines can increase the risk of central sleep apnea by suppressing breathing drive. Medications are not a typical primary cause of obstructive sleep apnea, which is usually caused by airway collapse.
Central sleep apnea often shows a waxing and waning or irregular breathing pattern with pauses. Obstructive sleep apnea more often shows repeated pauses caused by effort against a blocked airway, sometimes with snorts or arousals when the airway opens again.
Both can raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart strain, daytime accidents, and reduced quality of life. Obstructive sleep apnea is strongly linked to cardiovascular and metabolic problems, while central sleep apnea often signals a serious underlying illness that also needs attention.
Both can cause oxygen levels to fall, but the pattern may differ. Obstructive sleep apnea often causes repeated drops from blocked airflow, while central sleep apnea may cause drops from absent breathing effort and unstable ventilation.
Obstructive sleep apnea treatment often focuses on keeping the airway open with CPAP, oral appliances, positional therapy, or surgery in selected cases. Central sleep apnea treatment often focuses on correcting the underlying cause and may include specific breathing devices or oxygen therapy.
Alcohol and sedatives can worsen obstructive sleep apnea by relaxing the airway muscles. They can also worsen central sleep apnea in some people by further reducing breathing drive, so both conditions may be affected.
Bed partners often notice loud snoring, choking, and repeated gasps with obstructive sleep apnea. With central sleep apnea, they may notice quieter pauses in breathing followed by a breath restart, sometimes with less snoring.
Long-term management of obstructive sleep apnea often centers on nightly airway support and lifestyle changes. Long-term management of central sleep apnea usually includes treating the underlying medical problem and adjusting breathing support as needed.
A doctor may recommend further testing to identify whether breathing pauses are caused by airway blockage or by reduced brain-driven breathing effort. This distinction matters because the best treatment for central sleep apnea vs obstructive sleep apnea differences depends on the underlying mechanism.
Ergsy Search Results
This website offers general information and is not a substitute for professional advice.
Always seek guidance from qualified professionals.
If you have any medical concerns or need urgent help, contact a healthcare professional or emergency services immediately.
Some of this content was generated with AI assistance. We've done our best to keep it accurate, helpful, and human-friendly.
- Ergsy carefully checks the information in the videos we provide here.
- Videos shown by Youtube after a video has completed, have NOT been reviewed by ERGSY.
- To view, click the arrow in centre of video.
- Most of the videos you find here will have subtitles and/or closed captions available.
- You may need to turn these on, and choose your preferred language.
- Go to the video you'd like to watch.
- If closed captions (CC) are available, settings will be visible on the bottom right of the video player.
- To turn on Captions, click settings.
- To turn off Captions, click settings again.