If you snore regularly and experience constant daytime sleepiness, you may have a condition called "Obstructive Sleep Apnoea." Although it is as widespread as asthma and diabetes, sleep apnoea often remains undiagnosed-a "hidden epidemic."

Apnoea, derived from the Greek meaning "without breath", is a condition when the muscles that control the upper airway relax during sleep. If they relax too much, the upper airway becomes narrow and some people begin to snore. If the airway becomes too narrow, this may cause breathing difficulties. Sometimes, the airway becomes completely blocked and the person temporarily stops breathing, experiencing an "obstructive apnoea." This can last for ten seconds or more. It may happen frequently-even several hundred times a night.

If you have this condition, every time an apnoea occurs, you struggle to breathe, placing stress on your brain and heart. Night after night, your sleep is disrupted. You experience the kind of tiredness that affects the quality of your life, work, and relationships. Your partner may hear the tell-tale signs of sleep apnoea while you sleep- snoring followed by a period of silence, and then, perhaps, a loud snort or a gasp as you resume breathing.