So, you've been feeling overly tired during waking hours, despite the fact that you think you've gotten a "reasonable" amount of sleep lately? Well, there may be a problem... a fairly dangerous problem... that you don't know about: sleep apnea. And it happens more often, and to more people than you may even realize. It might even be happening to you.
What is it?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is inhibited or otherwise interrupted during sleep. As many as 18 million people worldwide struggle with this disorder, but it is estimated that a staggering 90% of them don't even know. Some of these unwitting sufferers may attribute their depletion of energy to working too hard, playing too hard, not eating right, not getting enough exercise, missing out on vitamins, or simply "getting older"... and so they often look no further into solving the riddle of why they might feel so horrible. Little do they know their undiagnosed sleep apnea may be causing them to stop breathing, for 8 seconds or longer at a time, sometimes dozens of times a night. The result is that the brain (and the body) may be deprived of precious oxygen. Night after night, year after year, the damage done by sleep apnea can increase health problems ten-fold.
Talk to your doctor about getting a fitted sleep mouth guard. The natural configuration of your jaw and airway passages may be conducive to the conditions associated with sleep apnea. Mouth pieces can help align your jaw in the proper way, which will provide you with high-quality sleep.
What kinds of sleep apnea are there?
There are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). Of the two, Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more common, and is usually caused by blockage of the airway by the soft tissue at the back of the throat which "relaxes" during sleep.
To help alleviate this condition, you should sleep on your side. A lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea are back sleepers. When you lay on your back during sleep, the tongue and soft palate shift to the back, which obstructs your airway. Try to sleep on your side to avoid that. Support yourself with pillows so that you won't end up on your back at night.
Central Sleep Apnea, unlike OSA, is not at all caused by breathing blockages in the throat or airway. In this disorder, the brain actually fails to trigger the muscles to breathe.
What are the causes?
A doctor looks at both your medical history and family history when diagnosing sleep apnea. You might also undergo a sleep study. Dependent upon what your personal physician discovers, they might give you a referral to see a sleep specialist.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea can be caused by any number of conditions:
• Males, more often than females, tend to suffer more from this disorder
Try to avoid sleeping at high altitudes. High altitudes can worsen sleep apnea. The air in high altitudes is much thinner and, consequently, more difficult to breathe. Sleep apnea is already causing your body to take in less oxygen at night. A high altitude environment can only exacerbate your condition.
• Being over the age of 40
• Being overweight
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can be improved by losing weight if you are obese. Losing about 25 pounds can dramatically improve this condition. For some people that will cure the problem, for others it may just help improve the symptoms that you are experiencing. Try to eat healthy and make sure to get enough exercise every day.
• Having a family history
• Having a large neck size (17 inches or greater in men, 16 inches or greater in women)
Anyone who suffers from sleep apnea should avoid using sleeping pills. It can be tempting to try to use them to help you sleep better, but these pills can relax your throat muscles and make your sleep apnea worse. They also have a number of other side effects that can be unpleasant.
• Large tonsils or tongue
• Small jaw bone
Sleeping at a high altitude can worsen your sleep apnea because of the lower levels of oxygen. If you are going to a place located higher than what you are used to, take a CPAP machine with you. The best thing to do would be to completely avoid high altitude.
• Sinus problems, nasal obstructions, or allergies
• Gastroesophageal reflux (also known as GERD)
It's important to lose weight if you suffer from sleep apnea and you are overweight. The heavier you are, the harder it is for air to get down your throat. In fact, some studies suggest that obese people who suffer from sleep apnea can get rid of the condition by losing weight.
Central Sleep Apnea, on the other hand, can be more difficult to diagnose and treat, and there is one form of CSA which presents no known cause. Any of the above causes for OSA can also be seen in CSA (though the age of onset is closer to 65), and additional causes of CSA include:
• Congestive heart failure
Prior to going to bed, it is important to open up your nasal passages. This is so that you get enough air flow. To open up the nasal passages, you may want to use saline spray, a nasal dilator, a neti pot, breathing strips or whatever your doctor may have recommended.
• Kidney failure
• Hypothyroid disease
If your nasal airways are too narrow, try using nasal strips. These can be bought in any pharmacy and will not damage your airways like sprays do. Choose a quality product and apply the strips right before you go to bed. Breathing should be a little easier with these strips.
• Neurological diseases (such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and ALS)
What are the treatments?
Do not use a large pillow when you sleep. Propping your head with a pillow will cause your airways to become narrower. Use a thin pillow or try sleeping with your head on your arm if you can. This should help you keep your airways open and sleep more peacefully.
An official diagnosis (including your specific type) might require seeing a sleep specialist, using a take-home sleep test with a portable monitor, or putting in an overnight stay at a sleep clinic. Once you've been diagnosed, though, you may be prescribed several different treatments or remedies, both natural ("self-help") and medical.
• Lose weight (even a small amount can open up the tissues surrounding the throat)
A large number of sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs. If this describes your case, it may be time to change your sleeping position. Research has shown that side sleeping can ease sleep apnea, meaning you get better rest.
• Stop smoking (the chemicals have been shown to cause inflammation of the throat and upper airway)
• Avoid any type of muscle relaxant (such as alcohol and sedatives, as they can relax the muscles of the throat too much, causing blockages)
Some sleep apnea patients find that aromatherapy help them a lot. Aromatherapy consists in smelling essential oils or flowers. Smells such as vervain are known to have a soothing effect: this smell could help you relax and go to sleep right away. You should talk to your doctor about aromatherapy and try it!
• Try to become more consistent with a sleep regimen (apnea has been seen to significantly decrease in those who get more than 7 hours of sleep per night)
• Sleep on your side (your throat, tongue and soft tissues are not subjected to the forces of gravity and pulled into the airway as much when lying on your side)
Work out the muscles in your jaw and throat. Weaknesses in these particular muscle groups can make your sleep apnea much worse, so it's a good idea to learn some targeted exercises to treat them. There is a chance that a few exercises can make you feel a lot better.
• Elevate your head (by raising your head 4-6 inches, your airway will be kept clear)
• Unclog nasal passages (using saline or other nasal sprays, breathing strips, or devices such as a "neti pot")
Snoring and sleep apnea are two, totally different things. It's important that you know the difference between the two so you can see your doctor if you think you have it. Signs of sleep apnea include extremely loud snoring, fatigue in the daytime, choking or gasping for air at nighttime and labored breathing.
For the more serious forms of Central Sleep Apnea, doctors may:
• Start by treating the underlying medical conditions (such as kidney failure and congestive heart failure)
Be on the lookout for symptoms of sleep apnea that may occur during the daytime hours. Extreme drowsiness can occur at anytime when you suffer from sleep apnea. This can include spells of extreme sleepiness while you are driving a car. Do not ignore these symptoms as you can hurt not only yourself, but others as well.
• Prescribe a supplemental oxygen source when sleeping
• A breathing devices (such as a C-PAP machine) that will assist your breathing while asleep
If you notice that one of your relatives has unusual sleep patterns, snores a lot and always look tired, this might mean they have sleep apnea and are not aware of it. Tell them what you know about this condition and encourage them to go see a doctor for some tests.
What's the bottom line?
Sometimes, a simple snore and nagging sleepiness can be signals that something else is wrong. If left undiagnosed and untreated, sleep apnea can cause (and escalate) a variety of serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression, and heart failure. In many cases, most family doctors are skillful at catching on to the symptoms, and the solution for this disorder is simple and painless. Just remember, there's no harm in checking!
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