When you go to bed at night and wake up in the morning, you probably don’t give much thought to the time in between. Sometimes you have dreams and sometimes you don’t. A night of sleep is made up of different stages. If you have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, you may not be reaching all stages of sleep, and this can be harmful to your health. Read on to learn more about the stages of sleep and why they are important.

If, like a lot of Americans, you’re chronically online, you might have noticed an uptick in the number of people being diagnosed with sleep apnea. And if, like many people, you have a curious nature, you’re probably wondering why that could be. Are increased sleep apnea rates a symptom of a larger problem, or does this have more to do with increased awareness of the condition?

As you might suspect, the answer is likely a complicated mix of both. Here are some contributing factors to consider.