Central sleep apnea

The “other” sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea is much less common than obstructive sleep apnea, accounting for only about 5% to 10% of total cases.

In central sleep apnea, people stop breathing while asleep, “not because of an obstruction in the upper airway but rather because the brain does not send a signal to breathe,” says Dr. Phyllis Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and an expert in sleep disorders.

The condition can be seen in patients with congestive heart failure and in those who are on powerful pain medicines, including opiates such as methadone.

“More and more I’m seeing patients with central sleep apnea, probably due to medications, because we now have better control of pain,” Zee says.