Snoring throughout the night can do more than just keep your partner awake–it can be a sign that you may be experiencing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea killing you through suffocation is an uncommon cause of death, but sleep apnea leading to heart attacks and strokes are the main way sleep apnea can potentially kill you.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that significantly impacts longevity, especially after the age of forty. Statistics show that individuals with untreated sleep apnea can expect to die ten to twenty-five years earlier than their peers.
Every day in the United States, sleep apnea claims the lives of 105 people. This includes thirty-three deaths from heart attacks, eleven from strokes, twenty-five from related issues such as diabetes, cancer, or car accidents due to drowsiness, and thirty-six who suffocate in their sleep.
Physiologically, sleep apnea leads to these fatal outcomes through repeated episodes of interrupted breathing during sleep. This condition causes a drop in blood oxygen levels, triggering stress responses in the body. Over time, these stress responses lead to hypertension, increased heart rate, and inflammation.
The strain on the cardiovascular system heightens the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, the lack of restorative sleep can worsen other health conditions such as diabetes and obesity, further increasing the risk of early death.
At Optimal Circadian Health, we are your one-stop-shop destination for sleep apnea resources. Our team is dedicated to raising awareness about sleep apnea, and to help connect those suffering from sleep apnea symptoms to resources that can boost natural breathing at night.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder and chronic condition in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during a sleep cycle. Individuals who are guilty of snoring loudly throughout the night and wake up still tired may want to consult with a healthcare professional in order to attain a sleep apnea diagnosis.
Sleep apnea comes in three main types:
- Central sleep apnea (CSA): This type of sleep apnea occurs when the individual’s brain doesn’t send the right signals to the muscles that control breathing. This can be a possible cause for the stop-and-start issues with nighttime breathing.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): OSA is the most common form of sleep apnea. It occurs when the individual’s throat muscles relax a little too much, resulting in a blockage of air into lungs.
- Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea: Also known as ‘complex sleep apnea,’ this form occurs when someone develops a combination of CSA and OSA when receiving therapy or treatment for an OSA diagnosis.
However, sleep apnea doesn’t just stop at obstructing your breathing. This condition can increase your risk for other health issues, including diabetes, weight gain, brain fog, memory loss, and more.
When your body is fighting to breathe during the night, it results in less restful sleep. Lack of proper sleep alone–especially for prolonged periods of time–can lead to other dangerous symptoms. This includes daytime sleepiness, which can lead to delayed reactions and response times.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Nearly 30% of adults between the ages of thirty and seventy suffer from OSA specifically, and there may be many more who haven’t been diagnosed yet. With rates that high, it leaves many wondering what causes sleep apnea and if they can avoid it. The truth? There are some ways you may be able to minimize your risk of developing some forms of sleep apnea, but other factors can be out of your control.
Your risk for developing OSA can increase if you:
- Have a narrow airway
- Have higher amounts of fat deposits around your upper airway
- Are a smoker, regularly use alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers
- Have nasal congestion–either from allergies or a narrow airway
- Have certain medical conditions, including congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, polycystic ovary syndrome, and more.
- Among other reasons
What about CSA? Risks for developing CSA increase if you:
- Are middle-aged or older
- Are male
- Have a heart disorder
- Use narcotic pain medicines
- Have previously survived a stroke
Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, as mentioned above, often develops when someone with OSA receives support for their symptoms, but inadvertently begins to develop CSA symptoms.
Approaches for Sleep Apnea
Luckily, sleep apnea doesn’t have to be a life sentence. There are people who live with sleep apnea and make it through the day without a nap, and live normal lives. This is because there are ways to promote easy nighttime breathing, including making lifestyle changes (losing weight, limiting alcohol intake, etc.), sleep apnea surgery, and even using a breathing device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Some individuals find that a combination of approaches helps them enhance more natural sleep. When you experience higher quality sleep, you can feel more ready to take on the day.
At Optimal Circadian Health, we work to help you overcome OSA by helping you find strategies to improve your nighttime breathing. Through a combination of breathing exercises and directly targeting the metabolic and environmental factors that can contribute to sleep apnea, these tools can supplement your healthcare provider-approved sleep apnea approach.
Want to learn more? Check out our book, Sleep Apnea Solution, to take the sleep apnea assessment today!
References:
- Marshall NS et al. Sleep apnea and 20-year follow-up for all-cause mortality, stroke, and cancer incidence in the Busselton Health Study cohort. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014;10(4):355-362.
