Sleep 8 Hours But Feel Tired
Are you plagued by tiredness? Do others say you snore? Are you at least slightly overweight? If so, you could have sleep apnea.
If all these are true, don’t wait! Sleep apnea could be shortening your life. Have your doctor prescribe sleep study to find out whether you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is condition where you are holding your breath and then gasping for air man times night. Here’s one reason why you shouldn’t wait: it will shorten your life. You are at increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease including aneurism. Here’s the other reason why you shouldn’t wait: there’s treatment.
In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least 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 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.
Your cardiovascular system will wear out from the constantly spiking blood pressure. Your rest will be ruined because of the constant near-waking.
You probably are not aware that you are holding your breath while sleeping. What is obvious to you is the tiredness that comes with it.
The spiking blood pressure many times each night will bring you closer to heart attack or stroke.
What to do?
Effective treatment has been available for couple of decades now. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system supplies air from fan through hose to mask placed over the nose and mouth. Pressure from the fan keeps the airway open as you breathe in. It’s not so much pressure that you can’t breathe out.
Well, nothing’s perfect, and some people report their masks are not comfortable. But there are plenty of options on the market.
Another downside is that you have to wear it whenever you lie down to sleep. If you go traveling or camping, you still have to wear it.
The fan makes noise, but it’s 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 mask to sleep and finding an electric outlet wherever you are. Do you choose test and treatment?
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