Micro-awakenings and sleep apnea syndrome

Micro-awakenings are brief sleep interruptions that take you from a state of deep sleep to a state of partial or complete wakefulness.

Although fast, they disrupt your sleep cycle and have a negative impact on your recovery and everyday fitness.

Important points	Summary
Micro awakenings definition	Micro awakenings are brief sleep interruptions that take you from a state of deep sleep to partial or full wakefulness, disrupting your sleep cycle and negatively impacting your recovery.
Causes of micro-awakenings: Respiratory disorders	Respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea and severe snoring are the main cause of micro-awakenings. During an apnea episode, the airways become temporarily blocked, causing a micro-awakening to enable breathing again.
Causes of micro-awakenings: Environmental factors	Noise, light, too high or too low ambient temperature can cause micro-awakenings. A dark, cool and soundproof bedroom is recommended to optimize sleep.
Symptoms and consequences of micro-awakenings	Repeated micro-awakenings lead to fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, headaches, risk of accidents and metabolic disorders by preventing optimal recovery.
Diagnosis of micro-awakenings	Diagnosis relies mainly on polysomnographic examination, which records brain activity, eye movements, breathing, heart rate and sleep phases to identify the causes of micro-arousals.

 

Causes of micro-awakenings

Respiratory disorders

Respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea are the main cause of micro-awakenings.

During an apnea episode, the airways become temporarily blocked, preventing air from circulating.

Your brain then detects a lack of oxygen and briefly wakes you from deep sleep to allow you to breathe again.

It's the same mechanism for severe snoring: repeated obstruction of the upper airways causes microarousals each time normal breathing is resumed.

Environmental factors

Certain external elements can cause micro-awakenings:

• noise,
• the light,
• ambient temperature too high or too low.

To optimize your bedroom, choose a dark, cool, soundproof room.  Quality bedding and mattresses also help create a cocoon conducive to uninterrupted sleep.

Other possible causes

• Stress, anxiety and certain psychological disorders can disrupt sleep regulation mechanisms,
• certain drugs such as corticosteroids, antidepressants, or cancer treatments,
• consumption of caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine before bedtime.

Symptoms and consequences of micro-awakenings

Repeated micro-awakenings during the night have a direct impact on your daily fitness and well-being.

The main symptoms are:

• fatigue and drowsiness,
• concentration and memory problems,
• irritability and low morale,
• morning headaches,
• risk of accidents,
• metabolic disorders (obesity and diabetes).

Micro-awakenings prevent optimal recovery during the night. They can seriously damage your physical and mental fitness.

Diagnosis of micro awakenings

Diagnosis of micro-awakenings relies mainly on polysomnographic examination, also known as "sleep study".

Various sensors are placed on your body to record your brain activity, eye movements, breathing, heart rate and sleep phases.

The data is then analyzed to see at what precise moment in the sleep cycle micro-awakenings occur and identify their likely cause.

Other respiratory tests include:

• nocturnal oximetry,
• snoring recording.

They can detect the presence of respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea.

Treatment of micro-awakenings

A healthy lifestyle

Good sleep hygiene is the first step to reducing micro-awakenings. This requires a healthy lifestyle:

• Regular physical activity (helps you fall asleep, improves sleep quality and reduces stress and fatigue).
• A balanced diet.
• Good stress management (relaxation, meditation, etc.).
• The right environment.

Medical treatments

In the event of severe and frequent micro-awakenings, medication may be prescribed, but should only be used occasionally and under medical supervision:

• Sleeping pills,
• sedative antidepressants (e.g.: Benzodiazepines),
• anti-epileptics (e.g.: Gabapentin/Pregabalin),
• melatonin,
• the natural remedies (ex: Valerian).

The Back2Sleep solution, the intranasal orthosis

Back2Sleep is an intranasal intranasal orthosis made of soft, hypoallergenic material.

Its tip reaches the soft palate to keep the airways open during sleep.

By preventing respiratory obstruction, it enables more continuous, restorative sleep.

Discreet and easy to use, it offers an effective, low-impact solution to snoring and sleep apnea.

Other devices

Other devices exist, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). They deliver a constant flow of air that keeps the airways open during sleep.

Although very efficient, these devices can be difficult to tolerate because they are bulky and noisy. They are mainly reserved for severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea.

Frequently asked questions about micro awakenings

Q. Are micro awakenings harmful to health?

Yes, frequent and persistent micro-awakenings can have harmful consequences for your health.

Excessive sleep fragmentation prevents the deep sleep phases essential for optimal recovery.

Q. How long does it take to treat micro awakenings?

The time needed to treat micro-awakenings depends on their cause.

With a change in lifestyle, the effects can be rapid.

For disorders such as sleep apnea, treatment with an orthosis or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device generally leads to a significant reduction in micro-arousals within a few weeks.