Sleep Apnea Disorder is More Than Just Snoring

Most folks are familiar with how disturbing snoring can be. In fact, culturally, snoring is such a nuisance that it’s regularly made fun of in both cartoons and movies. The term “sawing logs” is not a made-up reference; snoring is loud, disruptive, annoying, and unhealthy for the snorer. Snoring also has an obvious impact on a partner, who is sleeping in the same room, in being able to have a proper night’s rest. This can result in obvious strain in the relationship.

However, what is not discussed much but just as much of a problem is the fact that sleep apnea, which is the obstruction of the airway commonly associated with snoring, has been found to reduce the life-span of the sufferer by approximately 8-12 years of left untreated. 

Loss of Sleep

The sufferer may find themselves waking up multiple times throughout the night from repeated choking, while gasping for air. The most direct and immediate effect of sleep apnea is the repeated interruption of one’s sleep results in the loss of deepest most restful stages of sleep. For the snorer, sleep apnea is a combination of a loss of air, air passage obstruction, and sleep disruption.   

Common Signs of Sleep Apnea

This can result in the sufferer still feeling tired and not rested when waking in the morning.  The sufferer may additionally experience daytime drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, have trouble concentrating, fall asleep at work or while driving.

Effects of Sleep Apnea

Many studies have shown that our body and organs repair themselves at night while we sleep. However, for someone suffering with sleep apnea, the body can not effectively repair itself because it is in a constant state of survival, struggling for oxygen. Studies also show that our body specifically needs oxygen to do the necessary repair and healing. As a result long-time sufferers tend to have weaker health. This is directly related to the fact that people with undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea have a significantly higher chance of dying in one’s sleep, having a heart attack, a stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity, inability to lose weight, dementia, decrease in libido and a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer and numerous other cancers to name a few.

In summary, while at first, the most notable reactions are irritation, crankiness, and feeling tired the next day, over time, the problems build. Because of the loss of sleep aggregates, a regular inability to reach deep sleep starts to seriously impact the body’s ability to repair itself at night, which then depresses the immune system and also leads to chronic health problems as stated above.

Serious Help for a Serious Problem

Both men and women can suffer from sleep apnea; it is not relegated to one gender, regardless of the cartoon caricatures from Hollywood. So, for those who need treatment for sleep-disordered breathing in North Aurora, Illinois, you need to seek help from a doctor who understands the full complexity of snoring and sleep apnea. Our doctors at North Aurora Smiles have completed advanced training for the dental solution to sleep apnea. The treatment results are beneficial for both the sufferer and the bed partner. 

Sleep is an integral necessity for your health; don’t continue to lose more of it night after night. Schedule an appointment with the team at North Aurora Smiles to get started. Call us at (630) 984-2223 and claim your healthy sleep again.