If you’re concerned with your overall wellness, hopefully you realize that it’s not a simple solution. Hopefully you realize that it requires attention to the multiple dimensions of physical and spiritual health. You realize that you need to balance exercise with diet, rest with exertion, and work with play. You understand that sleep is an essential part of your quest for wellness, giving your body time to recover from the stresses of the day, heal from daily injuries, consolidate the day’s gains, and regulate the body for the next day’s efforts.
But getting enough restorative sleep isn’t always as simple as you might think. You might be putting your head down at the right time and staying in bed for as long as you’re supposed to, but if you’re not getting the right rest in between, you might still experience the consequences of not enough sleep. Sleep apnea could be stealing your rest every night and keeping you from experiencing the benefits of good sleep.
The Impact of Sleep Apnea
So how do you know if you’re not actually sleeping during the hours you spend in bed? Look for the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, which may include:
- Snoring
- Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
- Low motivation
- Inability to focus
- Reduced exercise capacity
- Weight gain despite diet and exercise
Snoring is one of the most common signals that you may have sleep apnea. If you’re snoring at night, then you should be tested for sleep apnea.
But if you don’t have anyone who sleeps with you to report snoring, daytime sleepiness or fatigue is the symptom you’re most likely to recognize. You’ll wake up feeling tired, like you haven’t gotten enough sleep, or you’ll feel tired all day, or you’ll doze off in the middle of less diverting activities, such as: driving, watching TV, or working.
If you’ve lost motivation or focus at the gym or elsewhere in life, then it’s time to consider whether sleep apnea might be the problem.
Sleep apnea may also be impacting your ability to keep up at the gym. People with sleep apnea experience reduced oxygen capacity, making it harder for them to keep up a good exercise regimen.
Finally, sleep apnea might be the reason why you’re not seeing the results you’d like from your diet and exercise routine. Sleep apnea makes it harder for your body to regulate its energy consumption and storage, so you’re more likely to gain weight.
Secure This Piece of the Wellness Puzzle
If you think you’re getting enough sleep at night, but you don’t feel like it, the odds are good that you have sleep apnea. Remember, even fit, healthy weight individuals sometimes get sleep apnea.
If you would like to learn more about getting tested and treated for sleep apnea in Omaha, please call (402) 493-4175 today for an appointment with a sleep dentist at the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center.
