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What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Are you frequently frustrated at how tired you feel in the morning, regardless of how early you went to sleep the night before? Do you have vague memories of waking briefly in the dead of night short of breath. You may be one of the millions of people world wide that suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a sleep condition that occurs when your airways temporarily closes off while you’re sleeping. When this occurs your airway remains closed until panic signals from your brain cause you to wake or sputter, clearing your airway.

Most often the case is the person suffering from OSA has no recollection of waking the previous night but instead just feels strangely tired. This is due to the multiple times their brain was forced to make them wake throughout the night to keep from suffocating. It is difficult to identify the disorder if you live alone since you typically don’t remember the episodes so it often persists until the person considers they may have a problem.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a fairly common disorder that can happen to anyone but there are a few factors that can help cause it. People with a narrow jaw or a large tongue may naturally have a smaller airway which definitely assists in the development of OSA. Also those who suffer from obesity often are diagnosed with OSA since the extra weight on their neck can make it easier for their throats to close as they sleep. Alcohol and other depressants have been know to assist in the development of OSA since they can cause the pallet to relax more than it is supposed to while you sleep.

Although grogginess and lack of a proper nights sleep is a serious issue for anyone as it can effect your mood and your performance during the day, but if OSA persists it can lead to much more serious problems. For instance, because of the continued lack of oxygen as well as the frequent stress signals the brain is forced to put forth, people with OSA are more prone to heart failure and strokes.

If you think you may have OSA, consult you physician immediately and have them perform a sleep study on you to determine the exact cause of your symptoms. If they find you have OSA they will most likely put you on a continuous positive airway pressure  (CPAP) machine that will keep your throat open while you sleep. Once you have your Obstructive Sleep Apnea remedy and you are ready for your first solid nights sleep in a while, make sure you are sleeping on a mattress that will keep you rested the entire night. Mattresses for less has hundreds of the most comfortable mattresses available all available to be delivered to you at your convenience. Make tonight the best nights sleep of your life with a quality mattress from Mattresses for Less!

by admin July 12, 2013