Lifestyle Causes Of Sleep Apnea

I have found this to be true from personal experience. Due to an overactive thyroid I lost quite a few kilograms over a year, and my apnea decreased dramatically. This is however not the best way to lose weight!

The more obese the person is, the greater the risk of sleep apnea.

It is significant to note that 70% of patients who are obese also have obstructive sleep apnea.

As I have already mentioned, it's understandable that tired irritable people don't feel like exercising or taking extra trouble with their diet.

A thicker neck measuring 17ins + (43cm) for men and 15ins + (38cm) for women is a risk factor.

Your throat muscles will need to be stronger to keep the airway open even during a normally relaxed state of sleep.

Consumption of alcohol and sedatives like sleeping pills is also considered to be a common lifestyle cause of sleep apnea.

These relax the throat muscles more, making it even more difficult to keep your airway open.

Stress is an important lifestyle cause of sleep apnea, whether physical or emotional.

When the muscles relax in sleep, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in.

If the oxygen drops to a dangerous level, it triggers adrenaline to disturb your sleep.

This helps tighten the upper airway muscles and opens up your windpipe.

Normal breaths then start again, often with a loud snort or choking sound, resulting in frequent drops in oxygen level and reduced sleep quality.

This raises your heart rate and increase your risk of high blood pressure or irregular heartbeats.

The physical effects of chronic emotional stress are almost the same as if you were in the emergency situation above.

The body will respond in 'emergency' mode, and this is very difficult cycle to escape.

Anxiety and depression become a habit and of course sleep problems ensue.

You should take steps to destress for a period every day, preferably before going to bed.

Exposure to emotional stress over a long time can lead to serious health consequences and may disrupt your blood pressure.

It also gives rise to a lower sex drive and fertility. It raisea the chances of a heart attack or a stroke, and depresses the immune system. This leaves you vulnerable to infection.

Other lifestyle causes of sleep apnea depend on your sleeping posture, often only recognized by a sleeping partner or a sleep study. You may be sleeping in a position which crimps your airway.

I usually sleep half sitting up, with pillows piled behind me. But if I slip down or the pillows move, I end up with my chin on my chest, with my throat not in a straight line.

Smoking, emphysema etc make breathing more difficult also, especially if you have to cough.

On a CPAP machine coughing is a no-no, and if you take it off, it's harder to get back into the rhythm again.

Lifestyle changes are easier to bring about than with physical problems. You need to look at the alternatives, and then make a sensible decision.

Summary.

Heredity, posture, obesity, large tongue or tonsils/adenoids, soft throat muscles, head shape, hypertension or diabetes, chronic nasal congestion, alcohol or sedatives, stress, chronic respiratory disease, black Hispanic or Pacific Island roots.

These are factors to be taken into account to help you build a big picture of possible physical and lifestyle causes of sleep apnea.

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