Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSleep ApneaIs It Hereditary?Other CausesRisk FactorsPreventionNext in Sleep Apnea GuideSleep Apnea Treatment: With and Without CPAP
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Sleep Apnea
Is It Hereditary?
Other Causes
Risk Factors
Prevention
Next in Sleep Apnea Guide
Millions of Americans havesleep apnea—a chronic disorder that causes you to stop breathing in your sleep. There are various risk factors that can lead to sleep apnea, including obesity and smoking, but genetics may also play a role.
In extremely rare cases, central sleep apnea can be linked to genetics, but genes are a much more common culprit in obstructive sleep apnea. Some studies estimate that nearly 75% of people with obstructive sleep apnea inherited the disorder in some way.
This article with explore the different types of sleep apnea, how genetics may be involved, and what to expect with a sleep apnea diagnosis.
How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
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What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a chronic condition where your breathing is interrupted as you sleep. These disruptions can last for 10 seconds or more, and occur several times an hour. In severe cases of sleep apnea, your breathing could stop hundreds of times in a single night.
Central vs Obstructive Sleep ApneaThere are three types of sleep apnea—central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea.Central sleep apneadevelops when the signals that your brain sends to your respiratory system are disrupted. This causes pauses in your breathing.Withobstructive sleep apnea, obesity or abnormal structures in the mouth or throat cause your airway to become partially or even completely blocked. When this happens, your breathing can stop.Complex sleep apneais a combination of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Central vs Obstructive Sleep Apnea
There are three types of sleep apnea—central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea.Central sleep apneadevelops when the signals that your brain sends to your respiratory system are disrupted. This causes pauses in your breathing.Withobstructive sleep apnea, obesity or abnormal structures in the mouth or throat cause your airway to become partially or even completely blocked. When this happens, your breathing can stop.Complex sleep apneais a combination of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
There are three types of sleep apnea—central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea.
Central sleep apneadevelops when the signals that your brain sends to your respiratory system are disrupted. This causes pauses in your breathing.
Withobstructive sleep apnea, obesity or abnormal structures in the mouth or throat cause your airway to become partially or even completely blocked. When this happens, your breathing can stop.
Complex sleep apneais a combination of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Symptoms
The main symptom of sleep apnea is a pause in your breathing during sleep. However, there are a number of other issues that can signal this disorder as well, including:
Surprising Signs and Symptoms of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Diagnosis
A sleep apnea diagnosis is usually made with a sleep study. In this study, called apolysomnograph, you will need to spend several hours asleep in a lab while different measurements of your health are taken. Your heart rate, movements, and breathing patterns will all be observed, and your healthcare provider will use this information to diagnose and rate your level of sleep apnea.
These tests can also provide clues as to what type of sleep apnea you have. Testing your brain waves and nerve signals during your sleep study can identify central sleep apnea.
What Is a Sleep Study (Polysomnogram)?
Is Sleep Apnea Hereditary?
Genetics can play a role in some types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea usually has non-genetic causes that are not hereditary. Obstructive sleep apnea, on the other hand, can be linked to genetics in several ways.
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS): What to Know
Central Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Unlike central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea is linked togeneticsin several ways.
First, many of the risk factors that can lead to sleep apnea—like high blood pressure and heart disease—carry a hereditary component to them. If you have a family history of conditions that increase your risk for sleep apnea, you should talk to your healthcare provider about any symptoms you might be having.
On top of an increased risk from these inherited conditions, there are also specific genes that have been linked to the development of sleep apnea. These include:
Even though some cases of obstructive sleep apnea are hereditary, genetics are not the only cause. Other causes of sleep apnea include:
What Causes Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Even without a structural or genetic condition, there are other disorders or diseases that can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea. More than 80% of people with sleep apnea have other medical conditions like:
Lifestyle choices can also put you at risk of developing sleep apnea. Some of these include:
When to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
There are some symptoms, though, that warrant quicker action. If you have symptoms like severe shortness of breath, confusion,blueish lips or nails, or you wake up with difficulty breathing, you should seekmedical helpright away.
Can Medication Cause Sleep Apnea?
While you can’t control the genetic predisposition to sleep apnea, you can make choices that can help you avoid developing conditions that increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), like obesity andhigh blood pressure.
Some of the things you can do to reduce your risk of developing sleep apnea include:
Sleep Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
A Word From Verywell
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in the U.S. threatens public health.Szily M, Tarnoki AD, Tarnoki DL, et al.Genetic influences on the onset of obstructive sleep apnoea and daytime sleepiness: a twin study.Respir Res.2019;20(125). doi:10.1186/s12931-019-1095-xMedlinePlus.Sleep apnea.Cowie MR.Sleep apnea: state of the art.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2017;27(4):280-289. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2016.12.005Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.SleepApnea.org.What is sleep apnea?SleepApnea.org.Diagnosing sleep apnea.SleepFoundation.org.Central sleep apnea.Wieckiewicz M, Bogunia-Kubik K, Mazur G, et al.Genetic basis of sleep bruxism and sleep apnea-response to a medical puzzle.Sci Rep.2020;10(1):7497. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64615-yNational Institutes of Health.Sleep apnea.Bonsignore MR, Baiamonte P, Mazzuca E, et al.Obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities: a dangerous liaison.Multidiscip Respir Med.2019;14(8). doi:10.1186/s40248-019-0172-9American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in the U.S. threatens public health.Szily M, Tarnoki AD, Tarnoki DL, et al.Genetic influences on the onset of obstructive sleep apnoea and daytime sleepiness: a twin study.Respir Res.2019;20(125). doi:10.1186/s12931-019-1095-xMedlinePlus.Sleep apnea.Cowie MR.Sleep apnea: state of the art.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2017;27(4):280-289. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2016.12.005Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.SleepApnea.org.What is sleep apnea?SleepApnea.org.Diagnosing sleep apnea.SleepFoundation.org.Central sleep apnea.Wieckiewicz M, Bogunia-Kubik K, Mazur G, et al.Genetic basis of sleep bruxism and sleep apnea-response to a medical puzzle.Sci Rep.2020;10(1):7497. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64615-yNational Institutes of Health.Sleep apnea.Bonsignore MR, Baiamonte P, Mazzuca E, et al.Obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities: a dangerous liaison.Multidiscip Respir Med.2019;14(8). doi:10.1186/s40248-019-0172-9American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in the U.S. threatens public health.Szily M, Tarnoki AD, Tarnoki DL, et al.Genetic influences on the onset of obstructive sleep apnoea and daytime sleepiness: a twin study.Respir Res.2019;20(125). doi:10.1186/s12931-019-1095-xMedlinePlus.Sleep apnea.Cowie MR.Sleep apnea: state of the art.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2017;27(4):280-289. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2016.12.005Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.SleepApnea.org.What is sleep apnea?SleepApnea.org.Diagnosing sleep apnea.SleepFoundation.org.Central sleep apnea.Wieckiewicz M, Bogunia-Kubik K, Mazur G, et al.Genetic basis of sleep bruxism and sleep apnea-response to a medical puzzle.Sci Rep.2020;10(1):7497. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64615-yNational Institutes of Health.Sleep apnea.Bonsignore MR, Baiamonte P, Mazzuca E, et al.Obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities: a dangerous liaison.Multidiscip Respir Med.2019;14(8). doi:10.1186/s40248-019-0172-9American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in the U.S. threatens public health.
Szily M, Tarnoki AD, Tarnoki DL, et al.Genetic influences on the onset of obstructive sleep apnoea and daytime sleepiness: a twin study.Respir Res.2019;20(125). doi:10.1186/s12931-019-1095-x
MedlinePlus.Sleep apnea.
Cowie MR.Sleep apnea: state of the art.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2017;27(4):280-289. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2016.12.005
Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.
SleepApnea.org.What is sleep apnea?
SleepApnea.org.Diagnosing sleep apnea.
SleepFoundation.org.Central sleep apnea.
Wieckiewicz M, Bogunia-Kubik K, Mazur G, et al.Genetic basis of sleep bruxism and sleep apnea-response to a medical puzzle.Sci Rep.2020;10(1):7497. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64615-y
National Institutes of Health.Sleep apnea.
Bonsignore MR, Baiamonte P, Mazzuca E, et al.Obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities: a dangerous liaison.Multidiscip Respir Med.2019;14(8). doi:10.1186/s40248-019-0172-9
American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.
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