Many people complain of feeling always tired even after getting a full night's sleep. Others also say that they not only feel tired during the day, but they also tend to want to eat more. These are some of the reasons why people feel less healthy nowadays - they do not get enough rest and their diet is negatively affected.
Possible Causes
One of the most common reasons why people always feel tired is that they lack sleep. For some people this is due to stress and anxiety, while for others, doing night shifts at work deprives them of sleep. Still, for many individuals who seem to have all the time to sleep, the reason for daytime sleepiness may be sleep apnea.
However, many people are not aware that they may be suffering from sleep apnea, which leaves them feeling tired during the day even when they think they slept the whole night. Sleep apnea affects more than 18 million Americans but it is under diagnosed because many people do not seek medical help for their symptoms.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Interruptions in breathing for at least 10 seconds (apnea) can result in up to 25% reduction of airflow below normal, which can cause you to briefly awaken while struggling to breathe, and go back to sleep without you remembering these episodes in the morning. However, these can cause significant health effects, which can manifest as excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue, memory problems, sexual dysfunction, poor concentration, inattention, headaches, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty performing your usual duties. Sometimes, these symptoms may also lead one to eat more and gain weight.
Sleep apnea may be caused by structural abnormalities in the airways and chronic snoring, but other factors also increase its incidence, such as obesity, diabetes, asthma and respiratory infections.
Sleep apnea can lead to other health problems such as overeating and weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Aside from these, chronic sleep deprivation due to sleep apnea can lead to reduced energy for work and play and increased risk for road accidents as well as workplace accidents. There are many ways to treat sleep apnea but it is often overlooked and under diagnosed. Consult a doctor if you have symptoms of chronic or excessive daytime sleepiness to avoid these resulting health problems.
- Sleep Tracks. Sleep Deprivation: What are the Physical Effects? http://www.sleeptracks.org/physical-effects-of-sleep-deprivation.html
- eMedicineHealth. Sleep Apnea. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/obstructive_and_central_sleep_apnea/article_em.htm
- Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth