Sleep Deprivation Hits Hard
When you’re going through your day feeling drowsy and in a daze, you’re at a greater risk for accidents. Losing several hours of sleep challenges your patience and ability to concentrate. If you suffer from sleep apnea, this is an everyday battle that can have a serious impact on your well-being.
At the Center for Dental Sleep Health, led by Dr. Stephen Ura in Nashua, NH, we understand the profound connection between sleep apnea and your mental health. Call our office at (603) 237-1124 to begin your journey towards a healthier, more restful sleep and improved well-being.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes you to frequently wake up each night due to a blockage in your airway. The interruption in your breathing prompts your brain to signal your body to wake up.
The average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night to function at their full potential, depending on age. Lack of sleep can result in fatigue, irritability, and more serious consequences to your health. If you feel exhausted each day, there’s a possibility you’re suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea’s Impact On Your Brain
Waking up multiple times a night disrupts your REM sleep cycle, this is the time when your brain sends messages to your body to process and regulate emotions. These messages, or chemicals, contribute to your body’s different functions.
Without a good night’s rest, responsibilities become challenging and your work ethic can decline, leading to an increased risk of unemployment. This small disturbance can have a significant effect on your health, especially for those who suffer from sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea, your REM cycle endures repeated interferences, causing a chemical imbalance in your brain. This imbalance triggers a range of emotions and sometimes leads to mental health issues. Oftentimes, people with sleep apnea don’t remember waking up during the night.
Sleep Apnea’s Impact on Your Mental Health
Cognitive Function
- Memory Impairment: Sleep apnea is linked to difficulties in memory consolidation, affecting both short-term and long-term memory. Frequent awakenings and disrupted sleep patterns can contribute to memory issues.
- Concentration Difficulties: Cognitive processes such as attention, focus, and problem-solving may be compromised in individuals with untreated sleep apnea. Daytime sleepiness and fatigue can further hinder cognitive performance.
- Cognitive Decline: Long-term untreated sleep apnea may be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions. Adequate sleep is crucial for brain health, and the lack thereof can contribute to cognitive challenges.
Emotional Well-being
- Mood Disorders: Sleep apnea has been linked to an elevated risk of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Sleep disruptions and oxygen desaturation can impact neurotransmitter regulation, influencing mood.
- Irritability and Mood Swings: Sleep deprivation and interrupted sleep can lead to irritability and mood swings, affecting interpersonal relationships. The chronic stress on the body may contribute to emotional instability.
- Impact on Stress Levels: Sleep apnea can contribute to increased stress hormone levels, exacerbating the body’s stress response. Chronic stress can further contribute to mental health challenges.
Behavioral Effects
- Personality Changes: The impact of sleep apnea on cognitive and emotional functioning can manifest as changes in personality traits. Individuals may become more withdrawn, irritable, or exhibit altered social behaviors.
- Impaired Decision-Making: Sleep-deprived individuals may experience difficulties in making sound decisions. Impaired cognitive function can affect judgment and problem-solving skills.
- Relationship Implications: The behavioral and emotional consequences of sleep apnea can strain relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Communication and interpersonal dynamics may be affected.
Diagnosis
Recognizing the Symptoms
Awareness of the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea is the first step toward diagnosis. Common symptoms include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and morning headaches.
Diagnostic Tests
There are two main ways to diagnose sleep apnea:
- Polysomnography (PSG): PSG is a comprehensive sleep study conducted in a sleep center. Monitors various physiological parameters, including brain activity, eye movement, heart rate, respiratory effort, airflow, and oxygen saturation.
- Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT): Portable devices can be used for home-based sleep apnea testing. HSAT measures key parameters to diagnose the presence and severity of sleep apnea, offering convenience for some individuals.
Treatment Options
At the Center of Dental Sleep Health, we provide oral appliance therapy. The custom-made mouthpieces shift the lower jaw forward to open up the airway. Oral appliances tend to be most effective for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea and snoring.
We’ll also recommend some lifestyle modifications to help ease your symptoms. Making healthy lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, ceasing alcohol consumption, exercising, and losing excess weight also help mitigate sleep apnea severity for some patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the connection between sleep and mental health?
Sleep has a profound impact on mental health. Healthy sleep helps consolidate memories, regulate mood and emotional reactions, and reduce stress system chemicals like cortisol. Disrupted sleep from conditions like sleep apnea prevents the brain from properly cycling through REM and deep sleep, leading to effects like depression, anxiety, irritability, and emotional dysregulation.
Can sleep apnea cause anxiety?
Yes, the chronic fatigue and body stresses caused by sleep apnea can trigger the development of anxiety disorders. Interrupted breathing lowers oxygen levels, which research links to anxiety symptoms as regions of the brain become impaired. The exhaustion of sleep apnea also taxes the body’s stress response, heightening feelings of anxiety.
Will sleep apnea worsen my existing mental health condition?
Most likely yes, untreated sleep apnea tends to worsen nearly all types of mental illness including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit disorders. The additional disruption to mood regulation, focus, and emotional resilience compounds underlying mental health conditions.
Will treating sleep apnea help resolve my mental health issues?
For many patients, successfully treating sleep apnea with CPAP or other interventions can dramatically improve mental health conditions ranging from depression to ADHD. Restoring healthy sleep helps stabilize mood, decrease anxiety, and sharpen cognitive skills. Built-up deficits may still require therapy or medication, but quality sleep provides a foundation.
Visit Dr. Ura to Feel Energized Again
Take the next step and schedule a free consultation with Dr. Ura to discuss which treatment is right for you. The Center for Dental Sleep Health offers quiet, travel-friendly, and easy-to-use alternatives to treat sleep apnea.
If you have any questions, give our Nashua office a call at (603) 237-1124 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you soon. Dr. Ura and our team proudly provide services to the Nashua community as well as surrounding areas such as Hudson, Merrimack, and Milford, NH. Reclaim your sleepless nights today.