Sleep is such a vital aspect of our health. Yet too many people suffer from some type of sleep disorder. An estimated 50 to 70 million adults in the United States suffer from a chronic sleep or wakefulness disorder. One of the common forms of sleep disorders is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) blocks airways during sleep and leads to disrupted breathing and excessive snoring.
Sleep apnea can create a vicious cycle in regards to weight. The reason: you are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea if you are overweight. On the other hand, you are more likely to gain weight if you have sleep apnea. Let me explain in more detail.
Weight & Sleep Apnea
A person can suffer from sleep apnea due to a weight problem. For example, when a person gains weight the added fat accumulates in the palate and neck area. This can cause some obstruction of air through of the airways which can lead to sleep apnea. While not every person suffering or at risk from OSA are overweight, the evidence of their relationship is in the numbers. It is estimated that around 70% of adult OSA sufferers are overweight or obese.
Can Sleep Apnea Make It More Difficult to Lose Weight?
The answer is definitely, “yes”. Too often people with sleep apnea suffer from weight loss problems. And in many cases, they don’t realize their weight loss problem is connected to their sleep apnea.
Waking repeatedly during the night interrupts your sleep which leaves you feeling tired during the day. Also repeated pauses in breathing during the night deprive your body of the oxygen it needs to function. The result, a person will often suffer from fatigue. In other words, they feel too tired to exercise and therefore can’t lose weight. Or worse, they gain more weight making their sleep apnea condition worsen.
Battling Hunger
Lack of sleep can cause an imbalance of your hormones. It is linked to higher levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which is known to increase hunger. Lack of sleep is also linked to lower levels of leptin. Leptin is sometimes called the satiety hormone. It helps inhibit hunger and regulate energy balance. So, the increase in ghrelin and decrease in leptin due to sleep apnea could make you feel extra hungry. Eating according to that high level of hunger can cause weight gain.
Also studies show that untreated sleep apnea is linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance, and even diabetes. This inefficient use of insulin can cause glucose to not be properly absorbed by the body. Consequently this can lead to an increased appetite, and again – weight gain.
Treatment
You can see how important a good night sleep is and why it is important to address and treat sleep apnea. We offer custom made oral appliances that effectively treat obstructive sleep apnea. You wear the appliances at night while you sleep. They adjust the position of your jaw to prevent chronic obstruction from occurring. We have different appliances we can offer. The important thing is, if you think you have sleep apnea it is important to get it checked out and treated before other complications develop.
Contact us now for more information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dave Carothers