Did you know that around 20% of people have sleep apnoea?

Why sleep matters

Sleep is a homeostatic need of the body — in other words, it keeps our biological system in balance, just like eating or drinking.

Each of us has specific sleep needs, both in how much we need and in our preferred times for falling asleep and waking up.

We should each be aware of these needs and respect them. There are many sleep disorders. Correct diagnosis and guidance are important, because sleep disorders can lead to multiple complications and seriously affect quality of life.

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What is sleep apnoea?

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), often simply called sleep apnoea, is a blockage of the upper airway during sleep. It can be partial (causing snoring) or complete (causing a pause in breathing – apnoea – that can last several seconds or even minutes, depending on severity). It is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition.

When we sleep, the muscles of the upper airway and the tongue relax, blocking the throat and interfering with normal breathing. How often this happens depends on how severe the condition is.

What are the signs and symptoms?

  • At night

    • Snoring, sometimes loud enough to be heard in other rooms

    • Pauses in breathing, usually noticed by a partner

    • Choking at night, often waking you up

    • Needing to pass urine frequently at night (more than twice a night)

    • Excessive sweating during sleep

  • During the day

    • Excessive daytime sleepiness

    • Fatigue

    • Dry mouth in the morning

    • Difficulty concentrating

    • Mood changes and irritability

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What are the consequences of sleep apnoea?

These pauses in breathing lower blood oxygen levels and raise carbon dioxide levels, because no air is reaching the lungs. This alerts the brain's respiratory centre to restart breathing, causing an arousal.

These frequent micro-arousals, although needed to restore normal breathing, prevent deep, restorative sleep, which leads to excessive daytime sleepiness.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common cause of road and workplace accidents, and also affects memory and family and social relationships.

Effective treatment of sleep apnoea significantly reduces these risks.

Our solutions

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Sleep studies at Clínica Myalgia

The test involves fitting sensors over your sleepwear. On the day, the technician fits the device, as described in the "test preparation" document.

We analyse:

  • Breathing movements and oral and nasal airflow (an elastic belt is placed around the lower chest, and a cannula sits between the nose and mouth)

  • Oxygen saturation and pulse (the sensor is worn on a finger, like a finger cot)

  • Snoring sound levels (built into the cannula between the nose and mouth)

  • Position (the device itself records your sleeping position)

The data are processed by computer and by a specialist doctor, who writes the test report.

Dr Rafaela Campanha

  • Specialist in Pulmonology (licence no. 52855)

  • Accredited in Lifestyle Medicine (Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine – American College of Lifestyle Medicine)

  • PhD student – Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon

Professional experience:

  • Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sleep and Lifestyle Medicine at Clínica Myalgia (since 2020).

  • Pulmonology Department, Hospital Vila Franca de Xira (since 2018).

  • Pulmonology residency at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental (2012-2018)

Postgraduate degrees:

  • European Diploma in Adult Respiratory Medicine – HERMES (September 2019)

  • Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine – American College of Lifestyle Medicine (2023)

Contact us

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