Sleep Apnea, Snoring and the Vagus Nerve Connection

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, people with apnea don't realize they are pausing their breathing. Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. When your breathing pauses or becomes shallow, you'll often move out of deep sleep and into a light sleep. As a result, your sleep quality is poor, making you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is defined as "an involuntary cessation of breathing during sleep, associated with irregularities of respiratory airflow of more than 10 seconds."