My friend has been complaining about feeling drowsy in the morning because she has not been sleeping well. She often wakes up in the middle of the night gasping for air. She suspects that she has sleep apnea. What causes this? What is the best cure for sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is the stopping of one’s breathing while sleeping. Before your friend can find a cure for sleep apnea, she needs to know which type she has. There are three types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common form of sleep apnea. This is usually caused by obstructions in the airway. Your friend may have some excess tissues that block the airway. It could be caused by certain anatomical differences like large tonsils and tongues. It may also be caused by weak throat muscles that can relax and collapse while your friend is sleeping. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), on the other hand, is a rare type of sleep apnea that happens when the brain signal that tells the body to breathe is delayed. This disorder can be caused by a stroke, a brain tumor or a viral brain infection in the brainstem. The third type of sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea, is the combination of Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea which is caused by physical obstructions in the throat area, central sleep apnea is caused by neurological problems that may be treated through medication. A continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP machine is also given to patients with this condition. If your friend has mild obstructive sleep apnea, she can consider changing her lifestyle by exercising, sleeping on one side and eliminating the use of alcohol, tobacco and sedatives. Oral devices that can pull the jaw forward, keep the tongue in place or raise the palate can also serve as a cure for sleep apnea. For more severe cases of sleep apnea, patients are usually advised to use a CPAP machine which forces air into the passageway at a high pressure through a flexible tube that is attached to a nasal mask or mouthpiece. Although the CPAP machine is safe, effective and provides immediate relief, some people can’t stand using it because it can cause some discomfort. Most of them opt for surgery as a cure for sleep apnea. The surgical procedure depends on the obstruction that you need to remove. For instance, people who have a problem with excess tissues in the airway can undergo uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Some people experience sleep apnea because their tongue has a tendency to fall back when they are asleep. For these cases, the patients can undergo mandibular myotomy which involves cutting a rectangular portion from the front portion of your jaw, pulling it out and twisting it by 90 degrees before re-attaching it. As you can see, there are many cures for obstructive sleep apnea and they depend on the severity of the condition as well as the obstruction that caused it. For this reason, it is safe to say that the best cure for sleep apnea will depend on the diagnosis that your doctor gives you.