When you wake up in the morning, do you feel rested and restored? Or do you wake up still tired, dragging and with a headache every day? If you are not getting good sleep every night despite going to bed early, you may have a condition that is preventing you from getting the rest your body desperately needs each day. This condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, can cause a decline in your cognitive health and memory function. Sleep apnea also has the potential of causing serious health implications for both your oral and overall health. Dr. Endsley helps to identify and treat sleep apnea for patients in the Waco, Texas, area.
Why Sleep Is Import
Sleep is the body’s way to reset and restore. During sleep, the body works to balance the internal and external stress you undergo all day. Sleep is vital to overall health and can influence your mood, energy levels, hormone levels, brain performance and how your immune system operates.
Sleep is also important for cognitive function, and when you get your sleep, your attention span improves, your problem-solving capability increases and you get more creative. We bet you didn’t know that!
So, when you miss out on getting enough sleep because of a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, you’re missing out on much more than just sleep.
So, What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that causes interruptions in breathing when you sleep. In many cases, this interruption is caused by an obstruction like the throat muscles or tongue relaxing and falling back into the throat.
Trust Us – It’s Serious
When your breathing is interrupted during sleep, your brain never gets to the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of the sleep cycle. REM is where dreaming occurs, as well as memory and emotional regulation.
Sleep apnea can also increase the production of amyloid protein, a protein associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep apnea increases your blood pressure, which in turn puts stress on your entire body, increasing your risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
The most common signs of sleep apnea include:
- Snoring
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Insomnia
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Chronic headaches
- Migraines or ‘sinus’ headaches
- Fatigue, despite getting a ‘good night’s sleep’
- Unexplained weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Problems focusing
- Memory loss
- Mood swings, irritability and difficulty concentrating
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, Dr. Endsley can help. Call us today for a consultation or for more information about sleep apnea.