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How a Home Sleep Test Can Help You Sleep Better and Live Healthier

Undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea can prevent you from getting the quality sleep your body needs. This may result in difficulty concentrating, making decisions, remembering information, or managing your behavior. Beyond these cognitive effects, sleep apnea is also linked to more pressing health concerns.(2). To sleep better and live healthier lives, managing sleep apnea is essential. The first step is detecting it, and a convenient way to identify sleep apnea is through a home sleep apnea test.

Read our guide below so you can understand what sleep apnea is, who is at risk, its potential health effects, and how a home sleep apnea test can get you on the right path to treatment.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing partially or completely stops during sleep. Sleep Apnea is classified into two types: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA).

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by the partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep, despite continuous efforts to breathe. This obstruction prevents air from reaching the lungs, leading to breathing pauses and a reduction in oxygen levels.
  • Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) occurs when the brain's respiratory centers fail to properly communicate with the muscles that control breathing. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by a physical blockage of the airway, CSA results from a failure in the brain's signals to initiate or maintain normal breathing during sleep.

OSA and CSA are distinct events, but they can coexist throughout the night to form a comprehensive sleep apnea profile. Regardless of the event type, both place stress on the body. Left untreated for months, years, or even decades, this ongoing strain can lead to significant health complications. 

Who is at risk of sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. If you fall into multiple of the below categories, it may be suitable for you to get tested with a home sleep apnea test. 

  • Age: Sleep apnea can develop at any age, but the risk increases with age, particularly after the age of 50. As people age, the muscles controlling the airway may become weaker.
  • Obesity: Individuals with excess fat, particularly around the neck and upper airway, are at a higher risk for sleep apnea. The added pressure from these fat deposits can obstruct the airway during sleep, making it more difficult to breathe and increasing the likelihood of airway collapse. 
    • Family History: If sleep apnea runs in your family, you may be at a higher risk due to inherited factors, such as similar airway anatomy. Individuals with a family history of sleep apnea are more likely to have structural features, like a narrower airway or certain physical traits, that can increase the likelihood of airway obstruction during sleep.
    • Sex: Men are more likely to develop sleep apnea and often experience more severe forms of the condition compared to women. This is partly due to differences in anatomy, such as a larger neck circumference.
      • Smoking: Smoking contributes to inflammation and swelling in the airways, which can narrow the passage and increase the likelihood of airway obstruction during sleep.  
      • Alcohol: Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the airway, which can contribute to further airway collapse during sleep. 
      • Heart or Kidney Failure: Both heart and kidney failure can lead to fluid retention in the body, which may cause swelling in the airway. This swelling increases the likelihood of airway obstruction, leading to its premature collapse during sleep. 
      • Large Tonsils: Enlarged tonsils can narrow the airway, increasing the risk of airway obstruction during sleep.
      • Health Conditions: Certain health conditions that affect the brain’s ability to communicate with the respiratory muscles or directly impact the muscles themselves can increase the risk of sleep apnea. For example, conditions such as stroke and heart failure can impair the brain’s response to respiratory needs, while disorders like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and Myasthenia Gravis directly weaken the respiratory muscles. (3) 

      Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea 

      Many people are unaware of their sleep apnea symptoms until a bed partner notices and brings them to their attention. Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

      • Loud snoring
      • Gasping for air while sleeping
      • Daytime sleepiness
      • Morning headaches

      Common Health Problems Associated with Untreated Sleep Apnea

      Treating diagnosed sleep apnea is linked to increased daytime energy and an enhanced quality of life. In contrast, leaving sleep apnea untreated can significantly burden daily life and, in severe cases, even become life-threatening. If you’re willing to endure excessive daytime sleepiness that impacts your mood and strains relationships, consider the more severe health risks that unaddressed sleep apnea can have. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious complications, including:

      • Elevated risk of stroke
      • Heart failure
      • Coronary artery disease
      • Irregular heart beat (AFib, Atrial flutter)
      • Heart attack
      • High blood pressure
      • Increased daytime sleepiness can cause accidental injury or death

      (National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (1))

      A convenient Solution to Sleep Testing

      Home sleep apnea tests are gaining popularity as a convenient option for those addressing suspected sleep apnea. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, there's no need to wait months for a sleep lab appointment. Instead, you can take action today by ordering your test online, with delivery to your home in as little as 48 hours. A clinic will contact you, providing step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process, ensuring you can complete your home sleep apnea test and have your results interpreted by a sleep physician. 

      Once sleep apnea has been detected, we can focus on how to treat it. Breathing devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, along with lifestyle changes, are common and effective treatments for sleep apnea. (2)

      Conclusion 

      Untreated sleep apnea can lead to a range of serious health complications, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cognitive impairments like memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Additionally, it can contribute to daytime fatigue, mood disturbances, and reduced productivity. If sleep apnea is suspected, it can be easily detected with a home sleep apnea test, which offers a convenient and effective way to diagnose the condition. Once diagnosed and treated, many of the symptoms, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, and difficulty focusing, significantly improve. Treatment not only helps reduce the severity of these symptoms but also leads to a notable improvement in overall quality of life, enhancing both physical health and mental well-being.

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