Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a brief cessation of breathing while sleeping. This can happen just once or hundred of times a night, disrupting the ability to get a good nights sleep. Over time, sleep apnea can lead to excessive daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, mood swings and many other health problems. Part of the treatment for sleep apnea is develop good sleep habits and healthy lifestyle behaviors, one of which is to limit caffeine intake.

There are two main types of sleep apnea, obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs because the throat becomes blocked while sleeping, which closes off the airway, notes the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Central sleep apnea occurs because the brain fails to send signals to breathe while you are sleeping. Some patients have a combination of the two. Both types cause the level of oxygen in the blood to drop, which in turn causes the brain to send signals for you to wake up and start breathing normally again. Treatment options vary and often require a multidisciplinary approach. The exact treatment plan depends on the type of sleep apnea you have, the underlying cause and the severity of the condition.

Caffeine is a known stimulant, and it can stay in the body for hours after ingestion. If you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, cutting back on caffeine or avoiding it too close to bedtime may help. When it comes to sleep apnea, many do not even know they have the condition because it only occurs at night, and they are not aware of how often they stop breathing. In some cases, daytime fatigue is the only warning sign. Drinking caffeine to combat daytime fatigue may be masking symptoms, says the National Sleep Foundation. Although ingesting caffeine in the morning may help to give you a burst of energy, it should not be used to make up for a lack of sleep. Excessive daytime fatigue or a dependence on caffeine should always be discussed with a physician.

When you sleep you go through five different stages that range from light sleep to deep sleep to periods when you do and do not dream. For good health, the body needs to cycle through all of these stages multiple times a night. However, the deep sleep stages are the ones that are the most restorative for the body. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, having sleep apnea can disrupt these cycles and rob you of deep sleep, which can lead to personality changes, morning headaches, a loss of interest in sex, a decline in mental functioning, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it may also rob the body of deep sleep, and too much caffeine can also cause headaches, irritability and irregular heart rhythms. Although each case is different, limiting caffeine intake may help to improve symptoms and sleep quality when used in combination with other sleep apnea treatments.

Although too much caffeine may make sleep more difficult, there is no evidence that caffeine causes or aggravates the actual condition of sleep apnea, reports MayoClinic.com. However, the lifestyle changes that do work for obstructive sleep apnea include losing weight because excess fat around the neck can block the airways, quitting smoking, sleeping on your side because sleeping on the back makes it easier for the throat to close, avoiding too much alcohol and establishing regular sleep hours and habits. When lifestyle changes are not enough, a continuous positive airway pressure machine may be necessary.

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