Reasons You Should Not Ignore Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, also known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a temporary pause in breathing during a sleep cycle. It is characterized by the narrowing of the airway, which restricts breathing and can stop it temporarily. This can occur hundreds of times throughout the course of a night’s sleep. Sleep apnea can have a dramatic impact on an individual's life in numerous ways. Keep reading to discover how it affects health now.

Dealing With Daytime Sleepiness

The quality of an individual's sleep is significant, as if they are getting a poor quality of sleep, it can result in them feeling more tired throughout the day. Sleep apnea is assessed to be a leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. That alone can lead to various issues, such as with driving which may result in traffic accidents, diminished performance at work, and a risk of injury in using heavy equipment. A general lack of energy and fatigue can lead to constant naps throughout the day. As the compulsion to sleep intensifies, the ability to complete tasks diminishes sharply.

Continue reading to find out how sleep apnea can create memory problems for an individual.

Short-Term Memory Problems

If left untreated, sleep apnea can affect both mental and physical functioning. It is known to cause systemic hypertension and is linked to heart disease, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis and increased mortality. Research indicates that patients with sleep apnea can also have significant difficulties with converting short-term memories into long-term ones. Neuroimaging and neurochemistry studies suggest that a good night’s sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience, while chronic sleep disruptions, such as sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders, set the stage for negative thinking and emotional vulnerability.

Next, discover why it is important to not ignore sleeping problems.