Sleep disorders could prove deadly

The effects of a restless and sleep deprived night may extend far beyond exhaustion and feeling cranky, according to many studies.

Studies have shown that sleep disorder can contribute to heart disease, hypertension, even memory loss and depression. So not being able to get good quality sleep at night could be bad for your health and lifestyle.




According to surveys about 50% of all middle-aged men and 20% of women aged 50 and above suffer from sleep apnea which is caused due to a narrowed air passage that does not allow sufficient oxygen into the system-usually as a result of obesity.

So when a patient with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) falls into deep sleep, his air passage closes, and for a few seconds, he stops breathing. Then, his/her oxygen-deprived brain wakes him up partially, and he changes his position to re-open the air passage and starts breathing/snoring again.

Doctors explain that this happens at least 40 times in the night. When it becomes a chronic problem, and there is constant shortage of oxygen in the body, it triggers the secretion of stress hormones, which in turn strains the heart.

The scary part is that only a minority of sleep apnea patients know of their problem and seek treatment and this some times results in heart attack or an accident because of drowsiness during the day.

Once the patient is aware of the problem through Sleep Study, he/she can begin treatment. For mild forms of OSA simply losing weight can help while chronic snorers would have to use a C-Pap (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which involves wearing a mask to bed every night to prevent the airway from closing.