Waking Up to Sleep Apnea

Nearly everyone feels sleep deprived and irritable once in awhile, but when excessive daytime sleepiness is the norm after a full night’s slumber, it may be due to a medical condition.

Sleep disorders are among the most undiagnosed and untreated medical conditions. Topping the list is apnea, which affects more than 18 million Americans—mostly overweight, middle-aged men. Causing both fragmented sleep and oxygen deprivation, the resulting fatigue increases the risk of traffic accidents and is associated with serious maladies such as irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Apnea means “want of breath,” and the most common kind is obstructive sleep apnea from a blocked airway. Most sufferers are unaware that up to 400 times per night, their brain awakens them from involuntary breathing lapses, reminding them to breathe.

Sleeping partners may be affected, too, because world-class snoring usually accompanies obstructive sleep apnea. “Certainly not all snoring is pathologic, but this can be so loud it’s difficult to stay in the same room. It stops and restarts louder than ever,” says Dr. James T. Siminski, director of Harris Methodist HEB Hospital’s sleep lab in Bedford, Texas (pop. 47,152).

It’s wise to ask your physician about undergoing a sleep study if you chronically suffer from daytime sleepiness. While the patient sleeps, non-invasive sensors measure airflow, oxygen levels, and heart, lung, brain and muscle activity.

If sleep apnea is diagnosed, the most effective treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device that fits over the nose and mouth during sleep to keep the airway open. Siminski also recommends that sufferers:

• Lose weight. A healthier body size can reduce obstructive fat deposits in your throat.
• Elevate the head of your bed.
• Avoid sleeping on your back. (Use pillows to keep you from rolling over.)
• Avoid alcohol, which relaxes throat muscles.
• Stop smoking, which can cause inflammation, swelling and narrowing of the upper airway.
• Wear a nasal strip to widen your nostrils during sleep.

Visit www.sleepfoundation.org to learn more.

Esther M. Bauer is a writer in Frisco, Texas.

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