According to Healthline, researchers have found there are indeed some genetic factors connected to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Roughly 40% of OSA is attributable to genetics, while the other 60% is likely from lifestyle choices.
So, snoring could be more than just a family quirk. In this blog, we’ll break down sleep apnea and whether it could be tied to your family tree–and if any sleep apnea books can truly help.
Inheriting a Sleep Disorder
Sleep apnea impacts millions of people across the country. If you feel restless at night or snore excessively, it could be worth checking with your doctor. If you’d like to read up on the topic. Dylan Petkus, MD’s book, Sleep Apnea Solution, has helped many experience more restful sleep.
However, researchers have also found that central sleep apnea often appears to be caused by brain signaling issues, which are usually not genetic.
OSA and Its Contributing Genetic Factors
Many genetic factors can contribute to a person being prone to developing sleep apnea. These include body fat, facial anatomy, etc. Here’s a breakdown of what has been discovered over the years:
- Genes influence body weight and where fat lives on your body, which could potentially contribute to whether or not a person develops OSA.
- Genetics affect the shape of someone’s face, including their skull size, nose size, and overall facial depth. All of these physical characteristics can impact how a person breathes, especially at night.
- Experts are still investigating the relationship between breathing control and genetic influences. They suspect they could impact the muscles and neural signals used to breathe.
- A person’s genes could also potentially influence a person’s sleep schedule and how well they sleep, which could impact their likelihood of developing OSA.
Keep in mind that research has been done comparing people in areas of the world with a facial structure that should in theory, make them more prone to sleep apnea. However, what they found is that the rates are not higher. This makes you think about how genetics or one variable that seems to be causative, isn’t necessarily fully responsible.
This can be disappointing for those who identify with genetic limitations, but if you focus on how many variables and thus opportunities there are to make the most of any situation there are exciting possibilities in improving breathing and sleep.
Overcoming Sleep Apnea
Whether your sleep apnea is genetic or not, there are ways you can tackle it. Possible solutions might include CPAP machines or sleep apnea mouthpieces.
Now that you’ve joined the club of sleep apnea sufferers who want to reclaim their rest, you’ll want to read Dylan Petkus, MD’s book, Sleep Apnea Solution, to learn natural methods for easier sleep and breathing.
Managing your sleep apnea can be possible when you take a big-picture approach to sleep apnea self-care.
