Modern life requires a lot of focus. In your job, you’re expected to perform a singular task, or a small group of tasks, for a period of eight hours with only a limited number of breaks. In your commute, you’re expected to focus exclusively on the road for another half hour. And when you get home, your family–especially your kids–demands your constant attention.Meanwhile, distractions abound. On your computer at work, the world is just a click away. In your car, it’s on your smartphone, sitting there on the seat beside you. And at home, it’s in both those places and more. To keep focused, you need willpower. Unfortunately, if you’re a snorer, you may not have the willpower to keep focused.
Snoring and Sleepiness
Snoring is caused by obstructed airflow during sleep. You are getting air, but you’re not getting enough of it. You may go through the night at reduced oxygen levels, which may dip low enough to trigger wakening, or they may not.And, of course, if your snoring is linked to sleep apnea, your body will suffer severe oxygen deprivation intermittently, which will certainly wake you up, even though you may not notice it.
The point is, whether you are just snoring or whether you have sleep apnea, you’re not getting quality sleep. And that means that during the day you’re more likely to feel sleepy.
Daytime Sleepiness and Lack of Vigilance
Daytime sleepiness makes it hard to concentrate. When you’re tired, you find yourself falling asleep in the middle of a monotonous situation, whether it’s a long workday or a boring commute.
You tell your brain that you need to stay awake and alert, and its response is, partly, to look for something interesting to help it stay awake. Notice how your brain perks up when you do give in to temptation and engage yourself in distractions? That’s what they’re for, to try to help your brain stay awake and alert.
Get Your Vigilance Back
You can get better sleep and better alertness by treating your snoring. But before we decide on a snoring treatment, we’ll want to make sure that your snoring isn’t related to sleep apnea, which requires more effective treatment.
To learn whether snoring or sleep apnea is related to your lack of focus, please call (402) 493-4175 for an appointment with an Omaha sleep dentist at the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center today.
