There are many causes and reasons for the sleep apnea to occur. If you are an overweight person, the extra soft fat tissue can thicken the wall of the windpipe. This causes the inside opening to narrow and makes it harder to keep open and lead to sleep apnea.

When you have obstructive sleep apnea, your throat collapses during sleep, blocking the airway and preventing air from getting to the lungs. Generally, your throat muscles keep the throat and airway open. People with obstructive sleep apnea may not be aware that their sleep was interrupted. In fact, many people with this type of sleep apnea think they sleep well all night. Nasal congestion or blockage will also lead to this disorder.

Sleep apnea has serious health consequences and can even be life-threatening. While obesity is a cause of sleep apnea, the relationship between sleep apnea and obesity is even more complex. Additional weight gain is a common sleep apnea symptom, so obesity can cause sleep apnea, and sleep apnea in turn can worsen obesity. Sleep apnea creates difficulty in sleeping which will result in a wide variety of health issues including potential heart problems, mood disorders, slow healing, rapid aging, weight gain, cancer and diabetes.