Sleep apnea and sleep deprivation go hand in hand, well, because the disorder can cause some pretty serious fatigue. Imagine it: night after night of multiple periods of breathlessness and being torn from your deepest sleep states. When it comes down to it, many people pass off fatigue as just being tired. However, consistent, prolonged and chronic sleeplessness and sleep disruptions aren’t something to shrug off. In fact, sleep deprivation can have some serious consequences. Here are a few things we were shocked to learn about sleep deprivation.
1. Sleep deprivation has been the cause of almost every major disaster in the last twenty years – from oil spills to train accidents. Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island – all happened because of some kind of sleep deprivation. Plus, sleep deprivation can cause injuries and accidents at work. When it comes to vehicular collisions, sleep deprivation causes over 1,500 deaths a year.
2. Sleep deprivation can actually cause brain damage – if you are exhausted all the time, you may be causing physical harm to your brain. Blood flow is essential and if you don’t get enough of it to your brain, you also aren’t getting enough oxygen to your brain, which can cause damage. Studies show that sleep apnea and the subsequent sleep deprivation can cause brain damage, memory loss and may increase risk of dementia. However, studies also show that CPAP can actually reverse this damage. Memory loss.
3. Sleep deprivation can cause death from a heart attack – all that not getting enough sleep can cause your heart to weaken and it can increase the risk of heart disease. There is a lot of evidence pointing to the fact that sleep apnea and sleep deprivation can have a seriously negative affect on your heart. However, there is also a lot of evidence pointing to the fact that CPAP can help. For instance, CPAP can reduce cardiovascular risks and it can reduce hypertension. So, do yourself, and your heart, a favor and start undergoing CPAP therapy.
4. Sleep deprivation will destroy your sex drive – having a healthy sex drive is important for a lot of reasons, duh, but having a sex drive is just as important as eating, sleeping and exercising. When you are tired all the time, there is no way that you are up for anything like that – being tired all the time is not sexy. However, sleep deprivation can also cause erectile dysfunction, which can be a little bit of a double whammy in the bed. Sick of making excuses? – Studies show that CPAP can actually help men get an erection and it can actually make you appear sexier.
5. Sleep apnea and chronic pain are linked. Approximately 15% of people that experience sleep disorders – including sleep apnea – also have chronic pain. One study showed that women diagnosed with sleep apnea are ten times more likely to suffer from a condition known as fibromyalgia, which causes chronic pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, and soft tissues – men are also more likely to suffer. There is also a study that shows a link between chronic cluster headaches and obstructive sleep apnea.
