Don’t sleep on this warning.
A sleep scientist has revealed probably the most commonly ignored symptom of the harmful sleep problem that affects tens of millions of Americans — urging them to pay closer attention to the standard of their nightly shuteye.
“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a particularly common condition, impacting tons of of tens of millions of individuals worldwide. Yet, tens of millions suffer in silence because common symptoms of OSA could also be ignored or difficult to detect because they occur during sleep,” sleep scientist Dr. Joachim Behar told The Post.
OSA occurs when the throat muscles loosen up and block the airway repeatedly during sleep.
The doctor explained that “when a patient ignores the issue or is misdiagnosed, OSA becomes a risk factor for very serious conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease” — the leading reason behind death for men, women, and other people of most racial and ethnic groups in the US.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness.
- Observed episodes of stopped respiratory during sleep.
- Waking through the night and gasping or choking.
- Awakening within the morning with a dry mouth or sore throat.
- Morning headaches.
- Trouble focusing through the day.
- Mood changes, resembling depression or being easily upset.
- Hypertension.
- Decreased interest in sex.
And probably the most commonly ignored symptom of OSA? Snoring, which too many Americans brush off as a minor nuisance.
“The excellent news is that some easy lifestyle changes, resembling losing a few pounds, sleeping in your side, and avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills will help reduce symptoms of OSA,” Dr. Behar shared.
For more severe cases, doctors may prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which is taken into account probably the most effective treatment.
“Sleep is a growing public health concern because so many individuals across the globe don’t receive the really helpful seven to nine hours of sleep each night,” the expert warned.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports every adult needs to be tucking themselves in for a minimum of seven hours an evening, however it appears that many Americans usually are not getting that — and even in the event that they are, it’s not consistent.
In truth, nearly half of American adults experience sleep deprivation, in keeping with a study published within the journal JAMA Network Open.
“Countless elements of our modern lifestyles, including long working hours, overuse of electronic devices, poor weight loss plan, excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and increased levels of stress, are all not conducive to healthy sleep hygiene,” Dr. Behar explained.
An absence of consistent sleep can affect your many points of your physical health, cognitive abilities and mental health.
A latest study even found that beauty sleep is an actual thing — having a consistent and regular sleep schedule will help decelerate the biological aging process.
Researchers discovered that folks who had the largest differences of their bedtimes and amount of sleep through the week in comparison with the weekend had the best biological age.
They specifically discovered that folks who were probably the most flexible and loose of their sleep schedules had a biological age that was nine months older than those that had a consistent schedule.
“Sleep is totally crucial in your overall well-being and needs to be taken as seriously as proper nutrition and exercise,” Dr. Behar said.
