3 Myths About Sleep Apnea

September 15, 2020

There is so much information floating around the Internet, it’s hard to know what is true and what is false. When beginning your searches about symptoms regarding sleep apnea, you may have run across some scary, but not possibly quite true, information. At Sleep Rehab, our goal is to make you well informed and confident about treating your symptoms. So, let’s bust some myths about Sleep Apnea!

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Myth 1: Obesity is the main cause of Sleep Apnea.

Yes, there is a link between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and weight gain, as we wrote about in this blog post. However, there are several factors that can affect your breathing at night and obesity is just one of them. As concluded by the Lost Angeles Sleep Study Institute, “Weight is a factor in developing sleep apnea, as the fatty tissue in the back of the throat can collapse and block the airway as the muscles relax during sleep. However, even a well-conditioned athlete who has a large, muscular neck may have a similar problem. Even a thin person can have sleep apnea if he or she has a narrowed airway or structural abnormalities of the jaw, tonsils or adenoids, septum, tongue and soft palate.”

Myth 2: Snoring means you have Sleep Apnea.

Snoring is a common symptom of Sleep Apnea patients, but just because you snore does not mean that you have Sleep Apnea. Snoring is only a clue that Sleep Apnea may be a possibility. According to the Mayo Clinic, snoring can occur with alcohol consumption, having a narrow nasal airway, a family history of snoring, or being a man (men are more likely to snore than women).

Myth 3: A CPAP machine is the most effective treatment of Sleep Apnea.

A CPAP machine has been a popular treatment for Sleep Apnea patients for decades. It delivers air pressure to keep a person’s airway open. However, there have been issues surrounding the use of a CPAP machine including claustrophobia, dry mouth, skin irritation, and nasal problems. Thankfully, the medical community is always advancing and there are as effective, or even more effective, Sleep Apnea treatments and Sleep Rehab is always on the cutting edge. We offer easy-to-wear oral appliances that are a lot of like a mouthguard and much less intrusive than a CPAP machine.

 

We hope busting these myths about Sleep Apnea puts you on a more clear path to treating your symptoms of sleeplessness and snoring. When you’re ready, make an appointment to see a specialist at Sleep Rehab to get a better night’s sleep.

Not Sleeping Well During the Pandemic? Try These 3 Tips

May 27, 2020

As busy and sleep-deprived as our lives were pre-COVID-19, there have been mass accounts of sleep issues during this pandemic. Have you been experiencing trouble sleeping during the last two months? Well, rest assured (pun intended) that you’re not alone! Nothing could prepare us for the anxiety, uncertainty, and worry that comes with a global crisis.

However, getting adequate shut-eye with a rampant virus is going on is critical. Sleep boosts your immune system, strengthens your body’s defense system and can even aid in making vaccines (when it comes available) more effective.

In addition to positive effects for the body, a solid night’s rest can improve mood and brain function. We’re so used to making plans and constantly moving, so being asked to slow down and deal with an uncertain future can make you feel anxious and potentially depressed. In other words, we can use all of the mood enhancers we can get!

What can you do to get back to a night of healthy sleep?

Set your schedule.

Set a routine wake-up time even if you’re working from home or currently unemployed. It’s crucial to keep your body on a steady schedule. This also means making time to wind down before bed and going to bed around the same time every night.

Reserve your bed for bedtime.

Working from home means you can probably work anywhere in your house, but leave the work out of the bedroom. Your brain needs to be able to separate work from rest.

Stay active.

Make sure to get outside and go for a walk, jog or bike ride to release your mind of any anxiety and stress related to the pandemic. This will help you sleep better at night!

Like everything, this too shall pass. But in the meantime, take care of your mind and body. If you need additional help sleeping, contact Sleep Rehab for a consultation. We’re here for you!

New Study: Correlation Between Age Acceleration & Sleep Apnea

December 30, 2019

As a sufferer of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), you might be experiencing quite a few side effects including trouble breathing in the middle of the night, waking up unusually exhausted, and others. However short-lived those effects may be, there are other effects of not sleeping through the night that may cause long-term damage, including your lifespan.

Image via abc.net.au

Could untreated sleep apnea result in shaving years off of your life? According to a 2019 study by Oxford, it certainly could.

In this article titled, Sleep Disordered Breathing Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration, tested with 53% female and 47% male and an average age of 67.8 found that disruption in your breathing while asleep not only changes your circadian rhythm causing exhaustion, but it also aids in age acceleration.

The scientists that published the article concluded: “Increasing SDB (sleep disordered breathing) [a side effect of OSA] severity and sleep disruption was associated with epigenetic age acceleration, independent of measured confounders.”

Epigenetics refers to the changes that can happen in DNA because of lifestyle and environmental factors that can affect how genes behave. When you don’t get enough sleep, your DNA could be aging faster than it normally would.

In the study, one of the authors stated, “Traditionally, we don’t give as much attention to sleep as we do to exercise or smoking,” says Dr. Li. “But it’s another modifiable risk factor, like smoking, physical inactivity, or poor diet.”

The good news is, epigenetic aging is reversible when treated and could improve cardiovascular and neurobehavioral health.

Although there is no cure for sleep apnea, recent studies show that successful treatment can reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.” – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

At Sleep Rehab, located in the Dallas area, we can provide treatments that have proven time and time again to treat your sleep apnea with the possibility to slow the age acceleration that OSA has caused. These treatments are non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical and non-surgical. No CPAP required. Contact us today to learn more and get started.

 

 

Will a Sleep Apnea Appliance Work for Me?

August 8, 2018

Woman waking feeling restedNo treatment is right for every patient, but if you’re suffering from sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy can offer significant improvement in the quality and quantity of sleep. Many patients with sleep apnea struggle to adjust to treatment using the more traditional continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. For these patients and those who don’t achieve adequate improvement in sleep using CPAP alone, an oral appliance may provide effective treatment to help you get a good night’s sleep.
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The Effects of Sleep Apnea on Your Day-to-Day Life

March 18, 2016

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , — drfedosky @ 5:33 pm

sleep apneaSo, you snore a bit at night… what’s the big deal? Well, actually, snoring really can be a big deal if it’s a sign of a more serious condition known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes the people who have this life threatening condition to stop breathing periodically during the night. And when we say life threatening, we’re really not exaggerating. Sleep apnea has been linked to a number of day-to-day health hazards that can compromise your health and shorten your life. Therefore, treating this condition can be life saving. To treat sleep apnea, Dallas, TX, comes to Sleep Rehab, just a short drive away in Garland. Let’s consider some of the ways sleep apnea can harm your health.

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