Health, Life

You Could Possibly Have A Sleeping Disorder And Not Know About It

Dr. Weil

COVID-19 has thrown the entire world for a loop. Stress levels are up, and it feels like there are more rules to remember now like having to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds at a time all throughout the day, not touching your face, and making sure to practice social distancing. These days, all people want to do is make sure they don’t catch the virus, and moreover, think of ways to boost their overall immunity.

But what you might not know is that these sleep issues might have been a problem before the coronavirus lockdown even began, they just got more pronounced in the last few months. But the question truly remains, how do you know if the sleeping dilemma is worse than just a bad night of sleep? Here are a few questions to consider to help you know whether you need to look into your sleep obstacles further.

Firstly, what is a sleep disorder? 

While there are different kinds of sleep disorders, one that is particularly concerning is Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA. This is when a person’s sleep suffers due to partial or complete obstruction within the throat that can happen over and over again throughout the night. Because OSA can stop people from breathing for short periods at a time, that person won’t fall into REM sleep, which will then result in their blood oxygen levels getting lowered and having an overall horrible night of sleep. When these episodes become so bad that the person sleeping ends up waking up gasping for air, or possibly choking in the middle of the night, these are already red flags that mean they should consult a doctor about their problem right away.

What Symptoms Should People with Sleep Disorders Look Out For?

So what particular symptoms should people look out for to help them figure out whether they have a sleeping disorder or not? Although everyone has days when their sleep is out of whack, and despite getting a full 8-hours of sleep they still feel incredibly tired, drained, grouchy, and happen to snore like a freight train, all these symptoms could be signs that they actually have OSA. To make matters worse, it can cause even more trouble throughout the day like a lack of concentration, increased risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart attack, strokes and even accidents. 

Is OSA Common?

Apparently, obstructive sleep apnea is much more common than people know. Studies have shown that “approximately 22 million Americans [are] living with OSA.” However, even if the numbers are disturbing, what’s even worse is the fact that many OSA patients remain largely undiagnosed because they don’t actually realize that they have a sleeping problem at all.

How Do You Treat It? 

If you believe you have OSA and you’ve finally gone to the doctor and received the proper diagnosis, your doctor is going to talk to you about what underlying conditions you might be dealing with. They may also suggest that you start using a machine for sleep therapy named Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). The CPAP device aids the patient by making sure their upper airways don’t collapse as they sleep with the help of a special mask, creating “a flow of air through the noise and/or mouth.”

Is There A Cure for OSA?

Although each patient deals with their sleep apnea in a different way, seeing their doctor and getting the proper diagnosis is already the first official step to best deal with the problem. While some patients might need to do CPAP therapy for a lengthy amount of time – some for the rest of their lives – others might find that a change in their diets, a bit of exercise and a lot of fresh air might actually do the trick! Regardless of what works for each person, seeing a doctor and figuring out a few useful tips will finally help in getting the kind of sleep they’ve dreaming of for so long.