Are You Getting Older

Our risk for sleep apnea is always based in our anatomy–the structure of the nose, throat, and jaw–but it is certainly worsened by aging. Loss of muscle tone may play a role. Woman in particular experience a dramatic 10-fold increase in the incidence with the onset of menopause (4). As estrogen and progesterone levels fall off, the muscle tone of the airway declines. The symptoms associated with this transition include night sweats, fragmented sleep, insomnia, snoring, weight gain, mood problems, and cognitive complaints. All of these are also symptoms of sleep apnea.