Sleep deprived Americans have a new option to address hard-to-treat nighttime breathing problems: a first-of-kind device that keeps airways open by zapping them with an electrical current

The Food and Drug Administration approved the pacemaker-like device from Inspire Medical Systems for sleep apnea patients who have trouble with the current standard of care: machines that blow air through a bedtime mask.

One of the main causes of sleep apnea is that the tongue and throat muscles relax too much during sleep, often blocking breathing and waking the person up. Sufferers loose crucial sleep time and are at higher risk for car accidents, heart attack and stroke.

Inspire’s device treats the problem by stimulating a nerve that controls key airway muscles so that they stay in place and don’t block breathing.

(AP)