While some medical conditions and lifestyle factors are the top contributors to sleep apnea, strong genetic components have also been identified.
Sleep apnea is a condition where you briefly stop breathing in your sleep. There are two types:
- In central sleep apnea (CSA), your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.
- In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much, causing the throat to totally or partially close.
Both types of sleep apnea are caused by a mix of lifestyle factors that also include genetics and your overall health.
Some of the underlying causes of central sleep apnea, such as certain heart issues, may have a genetic component. However, most of the causes do not, and there’s little evidence that central sleep apnea itself is hereditary.
Risk factors for developing central sleep apnea
Risk factors of central sleep apnea include:
- aging
- being male
- having previously had a stroke
- congestive heart failure or other heart issues
- using opioids
A 2021 review that included information from more than 20,000 participants suggests a strong genetic link for obstructive sleep apnea, including, specifically, the gene RMST/NEDD1.
The other determined underlying causes for obstructive sleep apnea are environmental, lifestyle-related, and other medical conditions
The more relatives you have with obstructive sleep apnea, the higher your risk of developing the conditions.
Additionally, it’s been shown that obesity can have underlying genetic causes. Since obesity is a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, this is an indirect way obstructive sleep apnea is hereditary.
Risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea
Risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea
- obesity
- having a thicker neck, which may narrow your airway
- being male
- family history
- aging
- menopause
- using alcohol or sedatives
- having a small lower jaw
- having large tonsils
- smoking
- nasal congestion
- hypothyroidism
Infant sleep apnea is a type of sleep apnea in children younger than 1 year old. It may be:
- central
- obstructive
- mixed (a combination of the first two)
Symptoms of infant sleep apnea usually improve with age and include:
- temporary breathing stoppages during sleep
- bluish skin, mouth, and lips
- slow heart rate
The cause of infant sleep apnea is often unknown. Potential causes and risk factors include:
- being born prematurely
- not having a fully developed brainstem, which is the part of the brain that controls breathing
- an underlying medical condition, such as lung disease, an infection, metabolic disorders, or seizures
In rare cases, central infant sleep apnea may be hereditary.
And like adult obstructive sleep apnea, underlying risk factors for obstructive infant sleep apnea, such as a small airway, may be tied to genetics.
Besides sleep apnea, in which the episodes of obstruction are repetitive, some children are born with abnormal breathing control and they under-breathe (hypoventilate) while sleeping.
If you have at least some of the following symptoms, speak with a doctor about potential causes, including sleep apnea:
- snoring (which you may find out from the person who shares your bed)
- daytime fatigue
- morning headaches
- irritability
- choking or gasping in your sleep
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- waking up in the middle of the night
If your snoring wakes up other people, or keeps them awake, speak with a healthcare professional about this symptom.
Some people who suspect they have a sleep breathing problem
A healthcare professional may be able to diagnose sleep apnea based on your symptoms.
In order to collect more information about what happens while you sleep, the doctor may ask for a sleep history not just from you, but also from someone who shares a bed or household with you.
They may refer you to a sleep specialist for evaluation.
An evaluation will include overnight monitoring, either at home or at a medical center. During the evaluation, your heart rate, breathing, oxygen level, and other vital signs will be measured while you sleep.
If the doctor suspects obstructive sleep apnea, they may send you for an evaluation by an ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) to look for causes of the obstruction.
If they think you have central sleep apnea, you may need an evaluation from a cardiologist or neurologist to look for an underlying cause.
There are many potential underlying causes of sleep apnea.
Health and lifestyle factors have the biggest effect on whether you may develop sleep apnea. But there may also be genetic causes for both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
It’s important to note that obstructive sleep apnea is much more likely to have underlying genetic causes than central sleep apnea.
The more relatives you have with obstructive sleep apnea, the more likely you are to develop the condition as well.