20% of the population suffers from THIS sleep disorder, but they don’t know it

Every night, millions of people around the world suffer from sleep-related problems, such as difficulty falling asleep or feeling tired during the day. In some cases, this can be easily corrected with simple changes in habits.

However, there are cases where these symptoms may be hiding something more serious. Such as sleep apnea, a condition that affects one in five people, but many times these people have no idea. So, see below what could be the cause behind your sleep problems.

What is sleep apnea?

Apnea is characterized by the complete interruption of airflow in the lungs. The condition can be induced voluntarily, as is the case with divers who have to hold their breath underwater. The problem arises when we are unable to control it.

Sleep apnea is exactly that: your body stops breathing while you sleep without you having any control over the process, which can be dangerous. The disease can bring health risks, such as high blood pressure, depression and even death.

The French study

In a recent study conducted in France with more than 20,000 volunteers, it was discovered that, of this total, around 3% had the sleep disorder. The problem is that these numbers only reflected people who had already been diagnosed with the problem.

The research revealed that one in five participants had similar symptoms, such as abnormal tiredness during the day and snoring. In other words, they most likely had the disease and were unaware of the problem.

Furthermore, research has also shown that men are more affected by sleep apnea than women. Another group affected is the elderly. One in two people over the age of 60 probably has the condition.

However, the group most affected by the disorder is by far the obese. Overweight people are twice as likely to have the disease, and in this case, the risks are even greater.