Sleep Apnea: Affecting Much More than Your Night’s Rest

A night’s sleep can make or break your next day. You’ve been there before—tired, lethargic, unproductive, and downright sleepy. Everyone has experienced this, but it becomes a problem when it happens regularly. Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your everyday life and even lead to job loss if it’s left untreated. One of the main causes of this is sleep apnea, a common sleeping disorder that affects breathing. Keep reading to learn the ways that sleep apnea and deprivation can affect your work and what you can do to get your good night’s rest back.

How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Your Work?

Recent studies show that the US experiences the most economic loss due to sleep deprivation compared to other countries, reporting up to $411 billion lost a year—the equivalent of about 1.23 million workdays. Lack of sleep affects your mental function and ability to perform in many ways, including:

• Low attention span and poor memory
• Questionable and difficult decision making
• Emotions that are harder to control than normal

Causes of Poor Sleep

People experience sleep deprivation for many reasons, but here are some of the most common:

• Stress: Anxiety and stress can cause you to toss and turn, which is why positive activities like exercise and meditation are good ideas for a healthy sleep schedule.
• Life changes: Moving to a new job, having a baby, or other big changes can lead to loss of sleep.
• Poor lifestyle habits: Lack of exercise, watching screens, and poor diet can contribute to lack of sleep.
• Diet: Caffeine can cause restlessness while use of alcohol can lead to frequent awakenings.

All of these factors increase your risk of sleep deprivation, but they also boost the likelihood of sleep apnea. This disorder is one of the main causes of poor sleep, and it causes those affected to start and stop breathing repeatedly during the night.

Give Yourself a Better Workday

The first step you can take toward a better night’s sleep is to take a sleep test. From there, you’ll know whether you have sleep apnea, other sleep disorders, or you’re affected by mental or external factors. It’s estimated that over 80% of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed, which is why sleep testing is imperative if you want to find a solution.

Once diagnosed with sleep apnea, your dentist can create a custom-made oral appliance that shifts your jaw and tongue in a way that promotes easy breathing. This device keeps your airway clear, allowing you to enjoy restful nights. There are other ways to reduce your risk of sleep deprivation, including:

• Healthy diet
• Avoiding caffeine
• Exercise
• Meditation
• Anxiety medication (prescribed from a doctor)
• Therapy

As you can tell sleep deprivation can affect you in various ways, leading to lack of productivity and trouble at work. Now that you know more about this issue, contact your dentist for possible treatment to take control of your night’s sleep.

About the Practice

Dr. Jacob Milner and Dr. R. Mark Horner are a team of dentists who believe in treating much more than just teeth. That’s why they offer amazing services like sleep apnea therapy at Dolfield Dental. For any questions, they can be contacted through their website or by phone at (410) 902-4110.