Sleep disorders are of various types, including insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs or sleep apnea. Each of these conditions is capable of impacting your life in an adverse manner. Improper sleeping or disrupted sleep cycles can bring down your productivity levels and can also impair your mental health. If left untreated, sleep-related problems can lead to cardiac conditions, diabetes and a few other lifestyle related ailments. Sleep disorders can turn into chronic conditions if your sleep cycles are disturbed regularly; you may experience excessive levels of weariness even after “sleeping” for eight hours and you may not able to do your daily activities. As per a recent study, nearly 65 million (or more) people aren’t sleeping enough in the US and are living with a sleep related disorder. Of such disorders, sleep apnea is a medical condition. As it is turning into a prevalent problem, it is essential to know more about this sleep disorder, and about its side effects.
Scientific studies on sleeping patterns indicate that at least eight to nine hours of sleep is required every night. Modern, stressful living conditions are fast shrinking sleep time. As per the national sleep foundation’s assessment, sleeping time stands reduced to less than 6.5 hours (during weekday nights) and to less than 7.75 hours (during weekend nights). The main reasons for such reduction are – taking work back to one’s home, browsing the internet late into the nights, etc. These assessments are done on people aged between 22 to 55 years. Elderly people (i.e., those aged 56 years and above) have their own reasons for sleeping badly; these include frequent needs to go to the bathroom, other medical conditions such as bodily discomforts or pains.
If the above trends are surprising, studies done on children reveal equally startling results. Sleep times of children are also shrinking; on an average about 4 to 5 hours per week of sleep deprivation is observed. Such improper sleeping is considered as being triggered by intake of caffeine, viewing television for longer hours as well as browsing the internet for longer hours.
Sleep apnea – What is it?
This sleep related disorder is observed when you develop respiratory problems while you are sleeping deeply. It can be accompanied by extreme levels of weariness during daytimes; others near you may be disturbed by your snoring – often, at very high decibel levels. If unchecked, you may soon develop hypertension (a high level of blood pressure), which in turn can lead to cardiac dysfunction or other heart problems.
Snoring
People who are not living with sleep apnea may also snore. This is termed as regular or primary snoring. This sign is often confused with the onset of sleep apnea. In case of regular snoring, it is linked to a throat or a nasal problem. Also, loud snoring is closely linked to your sleeping posture – i.e., sleeping on your back, weight (if you are obese / overweight, the odds of snoring are high) as well as regular intake of intoxicants or substances such as alcohol. However, people living with sleep apnea may snore quite differently. The key differences are (1) stopping to take breath – hence, snoring may cease for about 7 to 9 seconds, (2) choking, gasping or taking shorter breaths, (3) staying restless while you sleep and (4) emitting very loud snores – i.e., louder than those who live with primary, regular snoring.
The most common form of sleep apnea
Sleep experts highlight the incidence of obstructive form of sleep apnea as the most commonly experienced form of this sleep disorder. This is attributed mainly to the collapse of a softer tissue, seen on rear side of your throat. Such a collapse makes your breathing to get either partially or fully obstructed. As a result of these respiratory problems, the muscles in your chest region as well as diaphragm may need to overwork. This type of overworking is required to keep your air pathways to remain open. This stressful condition can often lead to jerking, emitting louder gasps and a few other discomforts. Over a period of time, it can deprive your system of needful supply of oxygen; people living with this form of apnea can develop conditions like erratic heartbeats or a medical condition known as arrhythmia.
There are a few lesser known forms of sleep apnea; these include a complex form of sleep apnea and a central form of this condition. In the central form, your central nervous system (CNS) may fail to instruct your system to breath. This condition may develop in those who have had a recent stroke or an acute form of sclerosis and in those who already have a respiratory condition, renal / kidney problems or cardiac dysfunction. On the other hand, complex form of this sleep disorder is observed in people who live with both central and obstructive versions of sleep apnea. Owing to the various types of this sleep disorder and the unique signs of each type, it is highly recommended to seek needful guidance from a qualified sleep specialist.
But, what are the common symptoms and signs of sleep apnea?
It is difficult to become aware of your sleep disorder on your own. You may need to depend on your partner-at-sleep to tell you about the signs. The most commonly experienced signs of sleep apnea include chronic spells of migraines / headaches, being in a depressed state of mind, staying restless during daytime, difficulties to maintain high level of focus or mental concentration, dryness of mouth, etc. Other commonly noticed signs are snoring very loudly, being tired during your wake periods, soreness of the throat, frequent urges to pee during night times, waking up suddenly in the middle of the night or at very early hours of dawn (due to choking or gasping problems), etc. A few symptoms such as a marked drop in libido, erectile dysfunction or sexual health problems may also show up. Night time sweating is also a likely sign of this sleep disorder.
Signs of central form of sleep apnea
Symptoms and signs are very different if you are living with the central form of sleep apnea. Here, the condition is characterized by sleeplessness, swallowing problems, sweating profusely during night times, learning difficulties, breathing with your mouth wide open, etc. In some rare cases, people tend to sleep in irregular sleeping postures. Upon sensing any of these signs, it is highly recommended to talk to a qualified medical practitioner without any delay.
How to diagnose and treat this sleep disorder?
As a starting point, your treating doctor will want to understand more about your clinical history; you may need to share details about pre-existing conditions such as incidence (earlier or current onset) of diabetes, hypertension, chest pain or angina. If your caregiver suspects a likely case of sleep apnea, your sleeping patterns may need to be studied. A specialist in sleep or a medical professional in a sleep lab / clinical facility may assess how you sleep, and the discomforts faced while you sleep. These studies – done while you are sleeping – understand your breathing patterns, functioning of your heart as well as brain, gauge the presence of oxygen in your blood as well as understand how your muscles (in the throat, nose and chest) work while you are sleeping.
How to tell if you are likely to develop sleep apnea?
There are a few factors that carry risks at a higher order; these include regular smoking of tobacco products, congestion of nasal airways, becoming old, turning obese or overweight. If your clinical history includes pulmonary obstruction (asthma, bronchitis, etc.) or if you are living with diabetes (especially, type 2), heart problems and / or higher level of blood pressure – the odds of sleep apnea are quite high.
Side effects of sleep apnea
If left unchecked, the condition can soon give way to other complications. Some of its acute side effects can include hepatic dysfunction or liver problems. You may be advised to undergo liver function tests to know about your hepatic wellbeing. In general, the risk of turning resistant to insulin runs high; this can add to the risks associated with the onset of type II diabetes. As you would wake-up in the middle of the night or at very odd hours during your sleep, you may experience persistent episodes of tiredness during daytimes. This can cause fatal accidents while you are driving; in some cases, people have encountered accidents (often, fatal or near-fatal) at their work. It is hence not a safe practice to engage in activities such as driving, operating heavy machines or lifting bulky objects.
Last but not least, intake of opioid medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen as well as a few forms of painkilling drugs may also have an impact on your sleep. So, prior to starting your treatment plans, it is a good practice to inform your treating doctor about drugs you presently take, and about treatment plans you are currently pursuing.
Treatment of sleep apnea
There are many ways by which this sleeping disorder can be treated. The commonly used approaches include provision of additional oxygen while sleeping, prescription of prosthetic oral devices, wearing a mask (clinically called as continuous positive airway pressure – CPAP) which supplies air at a slightly higher pressure level. Presence of a constant draught of air supply – especially, at a positive pressure, ensures sound sleep with no snoring or gasping for breath. If none of these approaches work, your caregiver may suggest opting for a surgery; surgical procedures can include repositioning of your jaw, removal of tissues in your throat or surgical shrinking of tissues. In very extreme cases of sleep apnea, a new pathway to breath air is created; this is referred to as tracheostomy. For obese people with this sleeping dysfunction, a gastric bypass surgery or a surgery to lose weight is performed. Such surgeries have largely been effective in improving sleep patterns as well as restricting spells of loud snoring and gasping / choking.
In sum, obstructive form of sleep apnea as a most common form of sleeping disorders. This occurs when a soft tissue on the back of your throat collapses. Typical side effects of sleep apnea are tiredness during daytimes, snoring loudly, etc. It may also be characterized by spells of insomnia (also termed as sleeplessness), difficulties while swallowing foods, sweating excessively – especially during nights or while sleeping, dyslexia or learning problems, breathing with your mouth wide open, etc. In some extremely one-off instances, a small percentage of people (with sleep apnea) may sleep in irregular postures all through the night. If left untreated, your system may soon be at a short supply of oxygen. As you know, an adequate supply of oxygen is extremely essential for normal living and sustenance of life. This may result in arrhythmia or erratic heartbeats as well as a very high blood pressure level. You are advised to talk to a qualified medical practitioner or a sleep specialist prior to taking medications for treating this sleeping disorder.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
Exclusive 30% OFF for New Customers!
