Better Sleep Could Start with Better Breathing

Have you ever woken up feeling like five more minutes would make all the difference? That’s because you are likely struggling to get enough quality sleep, and far too often, we underestimate just how deeply it impacts our health.

Sleep is not a luxury. It’s a vital process that helps our body and mind repair, reset and recharge. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, the heart and blood vessels undergo maintenance, and hormones regulating mood, metabolism and immune function are released. In fact, we should spend more of our lifetime sleeping than we do eating or exercising. Yet most of us know far more about diet and fitness than about sleep itself.

When sleep is of poor quality or insufficient, the effects ripple through every part of life. Research shows that chronic sleep deprivation is linked to serious health issues, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, mood disorders and even certain cancers.¹

Even day-to-day, poor sleep leads to impaired concentration, reduced productivity, memory lapses, irritability and a higher risk of accidents. In short, without regular, high-quality sleep, even the strongest body and sharpest mind will struggle to function at their best.

The Sleep Cycle

Sleep isn’t just a passive state; it’s made up of distinct sleep stages, each playing an important role in restoring the body and mind. A typical night involves cycling through light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep, with each stage playing a crucial role in how we feel the next day.

• Stage 1 – Light Sleep:
  A transition phase between wakefulness and sleep. Muscles begin to relax, breathing slows and your body starts to wind down.
• Stage 2 – Deeper Light Sleep:
  Eye movement stops, brain waves slow and body temperature drops. This stage prepares the body for deep sleep.
• Stage 3 – Deep Sleep:
  The most restorative stage of sleep. Tissue repair occurs, energy is restored and the immune system strengthens.
• REM Sleep – Rapid Eye Movement:
  Dreaming occurs in this stage. The brain becomes active, supporting learning, memory and mood regulation.

Each cycle lasts around 90 to 120 minutes and repeats several times a night. Getting enough time in both deep NREM sleep and REM sleep is crucial to feeling refreshed and alert the next day.

However, breathing problems during sleep can interrupt these cycles, often without you even realising it. Every time your breathing is disturbed, your body is pulled out of the deeper stages of sleep, cutting short the physical and mental benefits that good rest brings.

How Breathing and Sleep Are Linked

Breathing is so natural we rarely think about it—until it’s interrupted. Smooth, unobstructed breathing during sleep allows oxygen to reach the brain and body, supporting healthy sleep through all sleep stages. It is essential not just for survival, but for organ function, hormone regulation and brain health.

But when breathing becomes shallow, strained or repeatedly stops, the body jolts awake just enough to restart breathing. These interruptions (even if brief and not remembered) break up the critical deep and REM stages, leaving you feeling unrested.

One of the most common causes of breathing disruption at night is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). In OSA, the throat muscles relax too much during sleep, causing the airway to narrow or close completely. This stops breathing temporarily, but it can sometimes occur dozens or even hundreds of times per night.

Each time, the brain senses a lack of oxygen and briefly wakes the sleeper to reopen the airway. Over time, these repeated awakenings place enormous strain on the heart, disrupt hormone balance, weaken the immune system and impair memory and cognitive function.²

If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and depression.³

Signs of Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Many people with sleep-related breathing issues have no idea it’s happening. They might think they’re getting enough hours of sleep but still feel exhausted during the day.

Some common signs to look out for include:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping or choking during sleep
• Waking up with a dry mouth or headache
• Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes or irritability
• Frequent waking during the night

Sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed because people may not realise their breathing is disrupted during the night. People may assume they’re getting enough sleep based on hours spent in bed, but if breathing is disrupted, sleep quality suffers.

Getting sleep apnea diagnosed and treated can make an extraordinary difference to long-term health and daily well-being.

How CPAP Therapy Can Transform Your Sleep

For people diagnosed with sleep apnea, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is the gold standard treatment.

A CPAP machine delivers a gentle, steady stream of air through a mask, keeping the airway open throughout the night. By preventing the airway from collapsing, CPAP allows for uninterrupted breathing and uninterrupted sleep cycles. This means more deep, restorative sleep and better overall health outcomes.

Studies show that CPAP therapy not only reduces daytime sleepiness but can also lower blood pressure, stabilise blood sugar levels, improve mood and memory and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.⁴ Many people notice a dramatic difference in how rested they feel within just a few nights of starting therapy.

Building Healthy Sleep Habits Alongside CPAP Therapy

While CPAP addresses the breathing issues behind sleep apnea, good sleep hygiene practices also play a vital role in achieving restorative sleep. Some simple, evidence-based habits that support better sleep include:

• Keeping a consistent sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
• Limiting screen time before bed: Blue light from devices can interfere with melatonin production.
• Creating a calm, dark bedroom: Cool, quiet, dim environments support natural sleep cycles.
• Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals late: These disrupt sleep quality and CPAP effectiveness.
• Getting regular exercise: Physical activity (especially earlier in the day) promotes deeper sleep.

You can also explore CPAP accessories and humidifiers that make therapy even more comfortable and effective.

Why Sleep and Breathing Are Worth Prioritising

Most of us don’t think twice about how we breathe, let alone how we sleep. We power through exhaustion, blame stress or chalk it up to getting older. But if you’re dragging yourself through the day, struggling to focus or snapping at the people you love, something’s not working. And often, it’s happening quietly, at night, while you’re trying to rest.

Sleep apnea doesn’t always come with obvious warning signs. Sometimes it just shows up as feeling flat, waking up more tired than when you went to bed, losing the sharpness you used to have, and eventually forgetting what it felt like to feel rested.

That’s why if you’re constantly tired, snoring loudly or waking up feeling unrefreshed, it’s worth paying attention and seeking help.

At Sove CPAP Clinic, we make that first step easy. Our team of sleep and respiratory physicians, along with experienced CPAP consultants, can help arrange a sleep study, including convenient at-home options, and support you through every stage of diagnosis and care.

If CPAP therapy is recommended, we will work with you to find the right machine, the right mask, and the right accessories to suit your needs and your lifestyle.

Remember, getting a better night’s sleep could start with something as simple as breathing better.

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ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. CPAP is used for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea treatment. When considering whether a sleep study or CPAP is right for you, speak to your doctor. Medicare criteria and T&Cs apply.

Citations

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Chronic Disease." Preventing Chronic Disease, vol. 20, 2023.
2. Sleep Foundation. "How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Heart." Sleep Foundation, 2024.
3. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "How does inadequate sleep affect health?" NICHD, 2024.
4. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "CPAP rapidly improves blood pressure and arterial tone in adults with sleep apnea." AASM, 2014.