An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea - which means they literally stop breathing when they sleep.

Board Certified Sleep Disorder Specialist Holly Hannon says, "Snoring and sleep apnea are on the same spectrum, not everybody that snores has sleep apnea."

Dr. Hannon explains that sleep apnea episodes, which is when the sleeper stops breathing, can last 10 seconds or more and can occur hundreds of times every night.

"It is a cessation of breathing while sleeping. And it can range from resistance in the airway that causes a person to wake up out of sleep to complete pauses in the breathing, they just stop breathing."

Rob Galbreath from the sleep center at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center says, "If you feel like you might be suffering signs or symptoms of sleep apnea you're going to want to consult your doctor and let them know that you're going to want to have a sleep study."

Rob also says the technology in the new types of masks that are available for sleep apnea can offer even more comfort. "They come up with new devices every day that make it more comfortable for the patient."

Rob adds that the c-flex tracks and reacts to every breath you take throughout the night. "So if it senses that the air-flow or pressure is too high from the patient what it does is it lowers the amount of pressure that the patient has to breath against."

So if a good nights sleep is what you've been dreaming about then this information seems to suggest that visiting your physician could pay off big time at bedtime.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease.