The Relationship between Sleep Apnea and Waking Up Tired

Many people wake up tired now and then, which is not always a cause for concern. However, frequently waking up a little bit tired can be a symptom of an underlying health or sleep condition. This may be so likely if you continue to feel tired through the rest of the day. The information in this article will help you understand the common reasons for waking up tired, such as sleep apnea, and outline some treatments and home remedies to help you alleviate the issue.

Causes of Sleep Tiredness

There are many causes of tiredness upon waking up and may include:

• Sleep apnea. This is a sleep disorder that causes periodic pauses in breathing while sleeping.
• Sleep inertia
• Poor sleep hygiene practices
• Unhelpful dietary and lifestyle factors
• Insomnia
• Bruxism

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep conditionthat makes your breathing stop and start repeatedly. It can be symptomized by snoring very loudly and waking up very tired after a fulls night’s sleep.

There are different types of apnea, and they include:

• Obstructive sleep apnea – occurs when your throat muscles relax.
• Central sleep apnea – occurs when you fail to send proper signals to any power which controls breathing.
• Complex sleep apnea syndrome. It is also termed treatment-emergent central sleep apnea and occurs when someone has both of the above two types.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment

If you think or have the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, visit your doctor.  Treatment will ease your symptoms and help prevent heart problems or any other complications caused by sleep apnea.

Your doctor will evaluate based on the symptoms or signs you have or your sleep history, which can be confirmed by someone who shares your household or your bed. You may be referred to a sleep disorder center for further evaluation. The evaluation involves overnight monitoring of your breathing and how your body functions when you are asleep. Your doctor will perform the following test to detect sleep apnea:

• Home sleep tests. Your doctor will give you some tests to be used at home, which helps diagnose sleep apnea. The tests measure your blood oxygen level, airflow, heart rate, and breathing patterns
• Nocturnal Polysomnography.This is a test where equipment is used to measure your lung, heart, and brain activity, blood oxygen levels, breathing patterns, and arm and leg movements.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your health caregiver will refer you to a throat, nose, or ear doctor to rule out blockage in your throat or nose.

For mild cases of sleep apnea, your doctor recommends the following home care treatments. This will help you get rid of tiredness when you wake up. They include:

• Altering your sleep position
• Regular exercises such as yoga
• Maintain a healthy weight which keeps your airways clear and reduce the sign and symptoms of sleep apnea.
• Using humidifiers while sleeping to add moisture to your air
• Using oral appliances such as tongue stabilizing devices and mandibular advancement devices to help with sleep apnea by repositioning your tongue and jaw, therefore, keeping your airway open.
• Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol

If your condition does not improve with the home care remedies, you need to visit the Taylor Made Sleep facility for sleep apnea treatment in Mesa. Your doctor will try other treatment options such as therapies or surgery if all other options fail to show results. Therapies include:

• Continuous Positive airway pressure (CPAP)
• Other airway pressure devices
• Oral appliances
• Treatments of any associated medical problems such as heart conditions
• Adaptive Servo-ventilation. It is an airflow device that uses pressure to normalize your breathing pattern and prevent any pauses in your breathing.
• Supplementary oxygen

For severe case scenarios, your doctor will resort to surgical options such as:

• Tissue Removal. Your doctor may remove tissues from the rear of your mouth and your tonsils and adenoids as well.
• Jaw repositioning. Your jaws may be moved forward from the remainder of your facial bones.
• Tissue shrinkage. Radiofrequency ablation is used to shrink the tissue at the rear of your mouth or throat.
• Nerve stimulation. This surgery involves the insertion of nerve stimulation to control tongue movement.
• Tracheostomy. It is a surgery that creates a new air passage and is the last resort after all the above options have failed. Your surgeon makes an opening on your neck and inserts a plastic or metal tube to help you breathe