Sleep apnea, a disorder where an individual's breathing recurrently starts and stops, impacts an estimated 22 million Americans. Shockingly, approximately 80% of those affected have moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea and are undiagnosed. Given these statistics, it's alarming to know that sleep apnea can trigger side effects that can cause harm to a critical organ in your body: the brain.
In this day and age, there are plenty of reasons to stay awake. Our workaholic, technology-infused culture is constantly tempting us to sacrifice sleep for stimulation. In 2016, the Center for Disease Control published a study finding that as many as a third of adults living in the United States of America are not getting enough sleep at night.
Wayne Giles, M.D. and director of the CDC's Division of Population Health, stated, "As a nation, we are not getting enough sleep."
In the wake of this news, we're driven to ask the following questions:
There are three types of sleep apnea. (1) Obstructive sleep apnea is caused when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. This blockage greatly reduces or completely stops airflow, and is usually accompanied by loud snoring.
(2) Central sleep apnea is a type of sleep apnea that is caused when the brain does not send signals to the respiratory muscles needed to breathe during sleep. This type of sleep apnea is not accompanied by snoring.
Sometimes, a person can have both obstructive and central sleep apneas, which is called (3) complex sleep apnea syndrome.
The majority of individuals who seek professional help for their sleeping disorder admit that they waited too long. Their record of adverse symptoms is usually long. After receiving treatment, the most common exclamation sleep specialists hear from patients is, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
Indeed, those who suffer from undiagnosed sleeping disorders likely suffer from numerous symptoms that make life uncomfortable. If you have an untreated sleeping disorder, it’s probable that you might be experiencing one or more of the negative side effects listed below.
According to The National Sleep Foundation, sleep apnea is defined as “a sleep disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep.”
The three most prevalent types of sleep apnea are:
As great as modern technology and global access to goods and services are, they have made it significantly harder to get a good night’s rest. It’s reasonable to assume that people 100 years ago probably slept better and longer than people today.
Why? Common reasons people don’t get quality sleep or sleep long enough are:
All of these points affect our ability to regulate melatonin production (the hormone that regulates sleep). In practical terms, this list points out that in our environment, we are surrounded by things that keep us from getting the sleep we need:
In the 21st century, you need to make a concerted effort to get better sleep. Let’s look at 5 easy ways to improve sleep time and quality.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by having trouble sleeping and/or staying asleep [1]. People with insomnia may spend hours rolling around in bed before falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of night wide awake.
Insomnia comes in two forms:
It’s important not to confuse natural sleep cycles with insomnia – some people naturally go to bed earlier, some people naturally go to bed later. Insomnia is characterized by the following symptoms that interfere with natural function:
The best way to determine the severity of insomnia and begin the process of recovery from insomnia are to get a sleep study. Untreated long term insomnia can have physical, mental, and or mood effects that range from minor to life-interfering.
For many of us, the idea of having a sleep study is an exotic “wouldn’t that be interesting?” kind of thing. However, countless examples of recent research on the importance of sleep are bringing sleep studies into the mainstream. I personally know several people whose lives have been changed by sleep studies. Sleep quality is critical for everything, from peak athlete performance to heart health to brain health.
However, sleep time does not always equate to sleep quality. There are numerous signs that you might need a sleep study, regardless of what time you go to bed and wake up. Some signs that your sleep quality is poor are:
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Unexplainable, consistent malaise and fatigue
Daily irritation, anxiety, or mood swings for no clear reason
Difficult concentrating, such as “brain fog”, or cognitive impairment
Decreased sex drive
Poor performance at work (regardless of the occupation, as sleep affects performance at every output)
Stress without a clear reason
Obesity without clear reason
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Heart attack
Irregular heart beat
Diabetes
Morning headaches
In other words, if you have generally been feeling down and out for no clear reason, it might be time to do a sleep study. Quality sleep means you are there for your spouse, family, and friends. They want the happy you, not the crabby, tired you.
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by a frequent, and sometimes uncontrollable, desire for sleep. This can result in sudden lapses into sleep at any time, any place. Normal patterns and rhythms of sleeping become abnormal. For example, someone suffering from narcolepsy may end up sleeping several times during the day and then having trouble sleeping at night.
Irregular sleeping patterns are not only inconvenient, they can have medical, emotional, and psychological consequences.
A sleep diary is a record of your sleep that includes all of the aspects of your sleep. Sleep diaries might be requested of you by your doctor or a sleep center in order to get more accurate data about your sleeping habits. They can be extremely important in identifying the causes of sleep problems or conditions.
Sleep diaries includes data about:
Even if not requested by your doctor, it's a good idea to keep one if you are struggling with sleep - it really only takes a few minutes each day.