Title: Breathing At Night Topic: Sleep Apnea Disorder Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the serious problems of sleep apnea and how you can recognize it as well as treat it. Thesis Statement: Sleep Apnea, of all sleeping disorders, is the most likely to cause headache and death, but it can be treated if the symptoms are recognized. INTRODUCTION Attention material: Does this sound familiar? Do these sounds keep you up all night? Are you a snorer? If so, you are not alone. A National Family Opinion Poll revealed that 90 million people snore - 37 million on a regular basis (CNS). Yes, it can quite a nuisance, but it can also be the result of a very serious condition. Credibility material: My dad used to wake my family up and keep us up all night with his snoring. It just seemed to get louder and louder. Very annoying, because I, and I"m sure many of you, need my sleep. The gasps for air between what sounded like growls from a grisly began to worry my mother. After seeing a specialist, my father was diagnosed with a severe case of sleep apnea. Thesis statement: Sleep apnea is the most likely of all sleeping disorders to cause death, but it can be treated if the symptoms are recognized (Greenberg). (Transition: Sleep apnea affects 12 million Americans of various age, gender, and ethnicity. (ASAA)) BODY The word "apnea" is the Greek word for "without air". When someone snores, there is a partial collapse of the air passage in the throat. But, in sufferers of sleep apnea, there is a complete obstruction to airflow. The word "apnea" is the actual absence of airflow. It can last from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. One will usually have 300-500 apneas a night (CNS). Despite the airflow blockage, the person still tries to breath, but no air passes through. This results in an "arousal", or brief awakening, which is usually accompanied by a loud snore. The arousal opens the airway, and the person breaths rapidly for a short time.