Friday, October 31, 2008

Sleep 8 Hours But Feel Tired?

By Susan Harris

Are you always tired? Do others report that you snore? Are you a tad or more overweight? If these are true, you may have sleep apnea.

If all these are true, don't wait! Sleep apnea could be shortening your life. Have your doctor prescribe a sleep study to find out whether you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where you are holding your breath and then gasping for air man times a night. Here's one reason why you shouldn't wait: it will shorten your life. You are at increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease including aneurism. Here's the other reason why you shouldn't wait: there's treatment.

In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.

After the airway closes, the oxygen level in the blood drops. Blood pressure shoots up. The sleeper struggles to breathe and begins to wake up. Returning to consciousness, the sleeper opens the airway, and the breath is completed. The sleeper falls back to sleep. The cycle begins again, perhaps many times per minute. Breath cessation for 10 seconds will bring you a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

The spiking blood pressure is what wears out the cardiovascular system. The semi-conscious effort is what deprives you of sleep.

You probably are not aware that you are holding your breath while sleeping. What is obvious to you is the tiredness that comes with it.

The sudden rise in blood pressure many times a night is what can kill you, by leading to heart disease or stroke.

What to do?

Effective treatment comes through a system that supplies mild air pressure to your nose and mouth as you sleep. This continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system consists of a fan inside a box, a hose, and a mask. The fan pressurizes the air, delivered through the hose and mask to the nose and mouth. The pressurized air keeps your airway open as you breathe in, and isn't enough to prevent you from exhaling.

The nuisance that most people report about the CPAP is the mask: it can be uncomfortable. However, many suppliers are offering many masks these days. You can shop around.

The CPAP might limit your activities, too, because you always have to wear it, even if you are traveling or camping.

What about fan noise? It's actually a white noise, which may help you fall asleep.

Let's stack benefits against drawbacks. Without treatment, you risk early death. With it, you have to wear a mask when you sleep and locate an electric outlet. Which do you choose? - 15634

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