Are You Tired All the Time? Sleep Poorly?

Are you always tired? Do others report that you snore? Are you a tad or more overweight? If these are true, you may have sleep apnea.

If these are all true for you, waste no time in having your doctor prescribe a sleep study. If you do have sleep apnea, it can shorten your life. And there is treatment! Those who have sleep apnea hold their breaths many times a night, gasping for air. Sleep apnea means higher risk of cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart attack, and aneurism.

In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.

The airway closes. The sleeper struggles for breath. The oxygen level in the blood drops. As a result, blood pressure spikes. The sleeper begins to awaken. A semi-conscious effort opens the airway, and the breath is finally allowed in. This cycle can happen several times per minute. If breathing stops for 10 seconds, sleep apnea is diagnosed.

Sleep apnea wears out your cardiovascular system because of the constant cycle of high blood pressure. It also shreds your rest because of the continual near-waking required to keep breathing.

Oddly enough, you may not even be aware that you hold your breath while sleeping. Only the telltale tiredness will tip you off that you are in fact sleep-deprived.

The spiking blood pressure many times each night will bring you closer to heart attack or stroke.

What to do?

Effective treatment comes through a system that supplies mild air pressure to your nose and mouth as you sleep. This continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system consists of a fan inside a box, a hose, and a mask. The fan pressurizes the air, delivered through the hose and mask to the nose and mouth. The pressurized air keeps your airway open as you breathe in, and isn’t enough to prevent you from exhaling.

The nuisance that most people report about the CPAP is the mask: it can be uncomfortable. However, many suppliers are offering many masks these days. You can shop around.

The CPAP might limit your activities, too, because you always have to wear it, even if you are traveling or camping.

The fan makes a noise, but it’s a white noise that may actually help you fall asleep.

Compare risks to drawbacks. Without treatment, you are risking cardiovascular disease and early death. With it, you must adjust your habits to include wearing a mask to sleep and finding an electric outlet wherever you are. Do you choose test and treatment?