​If you’re finding it hard to get a good night’s sleep, you’re at risk of fatigue. But what if you’re still feeling tired even after what seems like a full night’s sleep? Then there’s certainly a problem, and more often than not, you may be silently suffering from the consequences of leaving your sleep apnea undiagnosed or untreated.

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is the most common form of sleep apnea. This condition causes your muscles to relax, which leads to a full or partial blockage of the throat during sleep. This closure in your airways can interrupt your sleep dozens or even hundreds of times over the course of the night. So, you’re not getting quality sleep.

Snoring and Fatigue

When you snore, the body sends a signal to the brain to restore your muscle tone so you can breathe properly. This signal will wake you up and interrupt your sleep. The same thing happens if you’re suffering from central sleep apnea. CSA is another type of sleep apnea where the brain fails to tell the body to keep on breathing while sleeping.

Both types of sleep apnea will continue interrupting your sleep. You won’t be able to go through all four stages of the sleep cycle. You’ll be constantly going in and out of the preliminary stages, unable to enter the deep, restorative stages. Even when you feel like you’ve been sleeping the whole night, your body won’t get enough rest for full body repair.

When your body fails to get adequate rest, you’ll feel tired all day, lacking energy and vibrancy. This can put you at risk of accidents in your workplace or even while driving. That’s in addition to the fact that sleep apnea is linked to a host of other serious health conditions like stroke, diabetes and heart disease.

You can’t continue to dismiss possible sleep apnea as “just snoring.” You need to take control of your health today. We would love to help you schedule an appointment with Dr. Buck and the Balance Epigenetic Orthodontics team today. Just give us a call at 425-409-2291.