Thanks to countless studies, scientists know that insufficient sleep promotes a host of medical problems that can shorten lives. That said, until now, they weren’t exactly sure why sleep deprivation caused so many problems.
All in the Genes
A recent study out of the University of Surrey indicates that sleep deprivation can negatively impact health by altering our genes. Appearing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research compared blood samples of people who slept normally with samples from subjects who were limited to six hours of sleep per night for one week. Upon analysis, the researchers found that poor sleep appeared to alter over 700 genes which are critical for promoting good health. By regulating the production of specific proteins, these genes work to determine our risk for developing serious health problems, including cancer, dementia, kidney disease, obesity, depression and heart disease. Unfortunately, this study showed that sleep deprivation can increase our risk of developing these serious illnesses by changing the way our genes behave.
What You Can Do
If your poor sleep is owed to bad habits that promote sleeplessness, you can improve your health by adopting healthier habits which encourage better sleep. That said, if your sleep deprivation results from obstructive sleep apnea; you’ll need to get help to correct it.
We know that sleep apnea can promote health problems by causing chronic sleep difficulties. This dangerous disorder can drastically impact quality of life by causing chronic fatigue and other serious co-morbidities. Fortunately, we provide patients with oral sleep appliances that eliminate the breathing disruptions which cause frequent waking. By adjusting the jaw’s position, this effective sleep apnea remedy creates an unobstructed airway that promotes clear breathing each and every night.
Don’t continue to suffer with sleep apnea, when a simple treatment may be able to solve your problem. To learn more, contact us today.
