Scientists in Portugal have discovered that this sleep disorder may impact on the healthspan, i.e. the period of your life during which you are healthy and free from disease, of sufferers. Their research indicates that sleep apnoea can aggravate cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases which in turn accelerates the age-related decline.
Though sleep apnoea can affect anyone, the people who tend to suffer more are usually smokers, overweight, older, male or post-menopausal. As the sufferer sleeps, their airways collapse or tighten which leads to low oxygen to the brain. This, in turn, makes the person jolt awake to normalise blood oxygen levels. While the full extent of the correlation between sleep apnoea and healthspan is not yet fully understood, if left untreated, this sleep disorder can cause fatigue, headaches, and concentration issues. New evidence also suggests that sleep apnoea may also impact on long-term age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes and liver disease. It is suggested that this may be because prolonged disruptions in blood oxygen levels combined with sleep fragmentation could generate stem cell exhaustion.
If you are concerned about whether you are suffering with sleep apnoea, a possible solution is to keep a diary of your nightly habits. Using data from a sleep tracker or monitoring system, you can effectively supervise and observe your nightly movements as well as your respiratory and heart rates. Providing this information to your GP could help them to make a diagnosis.
If you would like to find out more about how REM-Fit Sleep Monitoring technology orZeeq Smart Pillows can help you to get a better night’s rest, please get in touch with our experienced, knowledgeable staff by calling 020 8731 0020 or email us via sales@rem-fit.co.uk.
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