The only thing that Insomnia and sleep apnea have in common is that both are types of sleeping disorders.  Insomnia is defined as the lack of sleep while Sleep Apnea is referred to as a disturbed sleep.  A deeper understanding of these two top sleeping disorders will make it easier for people to differentiate one from the other.

Insomnia is said to be a person’s inability to sleep or stay asleep.  This is the most common type of sleeping disorder that may be experience by people from time to time.  However, if this occurs on a regular basis it may cause us to feel tired, exhausted and irritable.  In most cases, insomnia is short term and is commonly due to stress, lifestyle, work conditions and even other existing medical conditions.

On the other hand, sleep apnea is described as the disturbance of sleep cycle due to loss of breathing several times within an hour.  Often times the person has to wake up in order to catch his breath as the air passage becomes block due to the relaxing of the muscle, causing the windpipe to collapse.  Because of this blockage in the air passage, lack of oxygen may cause the brain sever strain and bring about extreme fatigue upon waking up.  Other consequences triggered by sleep apnea are daytime sleepiness, morning headache and poor memory.

Experts reveal that sleep apnea is potentially more dangerous than insomnia.  Nonetheless, any symptoms that one observes should be referred to a doctor for proper medical diagnosis.