Sleep disorders can lead to heart attacks, hypertension and stroke, as well as other major illnesses and health complications. With as many as 70 million adults suffering from sleep disorders, insomnia and sleep apnea are the most common and familiar to Americans. These conditions can also significantly contribute to sleep deprivation, which can have a negative impact on the economy by cutting into optimum performance at work, as well as everyday life.
What is the problem?
Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, can lead to long-term health consequences as well. For example, high blood pressure is a key health complication associated with sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Often caused by obesity or genetics, sleep apnea is a disorder in which your throat muscles relax and close, causing breathing difficulties.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you more likely to develop cardiac arrhythmia. This is because low oxygen in the blood can cause the heart to dilate and leads to heart failure. Inflammation in the body can also lead to strokes.
Get some sleep
An appropriate amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours a night. However, teenagers actually need more. They typically need about nine hours of sleep every night. If you sleep for eight hours, but still don’t feel refreshed, it is often the cause of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, and is referred to as nonrestorative sleep.
If you are losing out on sleep or feel exhausted day in and day out, it is important to reach out for help. Not only is the blue light from our electronic devices interrupting our natural sleep cycle, but it can also be caused by sleep apnea.
Contact Dr. Sara in North Scottsdale about sleep apnea and to learn more about available treatment options so you can get a better night’s sleep.