Weight Gain and Sleep Apnea Sleepy Diaries

Weight Gain and Sleep Apnea. Sleepy Diaries – Part 2

It isn’t very pleasant to be constantly woken up in the middle of the night when you are fast asleep. It’s even more frustrating when you are woken up every few hours during the night. How would you feel waking up in the morning with insufficient sleep? And, how would this make you feel if it happened every night?

People suffering from sleep apnea experience difficulty staying awake during the day. They feel fatigued as they try to complete regular activities, and even more challenging is their ability to stick to an exercise routine. You can’t exercise when you are tired, while all you want to do is hit the bed.

How can sleep apnea affect you?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is categorized into three causes.

Obstructive sleep apnea – Thorax muscle relaxes, narrowing, or closing the airway that helps you breathe in air. This causes the person asleep to briefly rouse from their sleep as the brain experiences lack of oxygen.

Central sleep apnea – Here, the brain fails to signal the breathing muscles to do their part. This results in shortness of breathing, which awakens a person while asleep.

Complex sleep apnea syndrome – This form of sleep apnea has the combined effect of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

The common challenges a person with sleep apnea can experience are loud snoring, gasping for air, and episodes where you stop breathing and don’t realize it unless someone points it out while you are asleep. The other signs include:

Waking up in the morning with a dry mouth
Headache in the morning
Excessive sleepiness in the daytime
Difficulty staying asleep
Feeling irritable

As a result of sleep apnea, an individual is at the risk of developing several complications, including heart problems, daytime fatigue, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and liver problems. It’s also challenging to perform significant surgeries in such cases as the person may suffer from breathing problems when sedated on lying on their backs.

How is sleep apnea related to weight gain?

Sleep apnea and weight gain are co-related in two ways.

The first way is that people suffering from sleep apnea experience daytime fatigue. They feel less motivated to exercise and therefore have a higher chance of gaining weight.

On the other hand, people with obesity are likely to develop a risk of sleep apnea. The fat deposits formed around their upper airway can obstruct their breathing process.

Therefore, it is essential to maintain healthy body weight so it doesn’t create further complications.

Dr2bThin offers a better way to manage their weight issues for people struggling to lose weight in these conditions.

You can get onto the Phentermine weight loss program. Phentermine is FDA-approved and recommended for those suffering from obesity and who cannot lose weight due to medical complications. However, these doctor-prescribed pills are not suitable for everyone struggling with obesity. Therefore, it is essential to first book an appointment with our medical weight loss doctor, who can analyze your case and then decide whether you are eligible for this medication.

If you are approved to take this weight loss drug, you will be advised on how to take Phentermine properly.

What causes a person to suffer from sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea causes are based on the type a person is experiencing.

Obstructive sleep apnea

If you are highly overweight or are obese.
People with thick necks may have a narrower airway.
Some people naturally have narrower airways as they inherit them from their families.
Men are two times more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea as compared to women.
Alcohol or sedatives can also increase your chances of developing sleep apnea.
Conditions like congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease are conditions that may lead to developing obstructive sleep apnea due to the medications used.
Additionally, polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke, and asthma may also cause sleep apnea.
Nasal congestion that interferes with the process of breathing.
Smoking can increase this condition’s chances of increasing inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway.

Central sleep apnea

This condition primarily depends on your age, if you are middle-aged or older.
Again, males have a higher chance of developing central sleep apnea than women.
If you are suffering from congestive heart failure or had a stroke.
If you are using opioid medications like long-acting ones (methadone).

Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder that needs timely treatment. You may need to consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms, leaving you feeling irritable, tired, and excessively sleepy during the daytime.

If you need more information on losing weight in this condition, you may book an appointment with our medical weight loss professional.

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June 27, 2023