Feature: Sleep Solutions for Him
SLEEP SOLUTIONS FOR HIM
By Dr. Andrew Hong
If you fall asleep to the melodious sound of your husband snoring, then you may be hearing more than the disruption of a peaceful night. Snoring, while in some cases harmless, can also be a symptom of a serious sleep condition. As a spouse, you are uniquely able to identify this and other warning signs and encourage your husband to seek treatment. Men Diagnosed More Sleep issues come in a variety of forms, from insomnia to problems with excessive movement. Sleep apnea, a disorder where breathing stops and starts during sleep, is the most common. It often occurs when a person’s airway becomes obstructed during sleep. Sleep apnea is far more prevalent in men than women. Experts estimate that 14 percent of men suffer from sleep apnea, compared with 5 to 6 percent of women. It’s a condition that can have serious health implications, causing fragmented sleep, daytime tiredness, memory problems, high blood pressure, and morning headaches. Long-term, sleep apnea increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can impact testosterone levels and make diabetes and blood pressure harder to control.
Symptoms to Spot Sleep apnea is also underdiagnosed: According to one study, up to 30 million people have it, but only 20 percent are diagnosed. Sometimes people don’t realize that the issues they are experiencing can be caused by sleep apnea. For example, it’s common for people with sleep apnea to have trouble staying asleep the second half of the night. Yet patients may chalk the problem up to insomnia. Patients may wake up to use the restroom frequently at night and think that they don’t have the bladder control they used to. In fact, sleep apnea puts strain on the heart, which in turn causes the body to release a chemical that prompts them to use the bathroom. Some important memory functions occur in REM sleep, when sleep apnea is the worst. Sufferers commonly report that they don’t dream or remember their dreams anymore; alone, that’s rarely enough to spur someone to see a doctor. Other patients simply don’t have as many warning signs. Sleep medicine physicians like to joke that spouses are our best referrers, but it’s actually true. Some people suffering from sleep apnea don’t notice many changes in their body beyond being tired during the day. It’s
their spouses who key in on the snoring, how they may wake up and gasp for air in the middle of the night or pause in breathing. It’s often wives and girlfriends who encourage their partner to come in for evaluation and testing. Like Father, Like Son Sleep apnea can affect any age, from child to adult, but is more common as people get older. And while being overweight is a risk factor, people who are thin can have sleep apnea that’s more severe than that of an obese patient. Facial features, airway size, and jaw positioning also impact people’s risk. For example, a jaw that is set back or slightly smaller, or nasal passages with a deviated septum increase risk. Because facial features matter, having a family member who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea can increase the likelihood of being diagnosed. Sometimes I have kids in my office who are exactly like their parents, and they all have sleep apnea. Ethnicity matters as well. On average, people of Asian descent experience sleep apnea at a lower body mass index (BMI) than other ethnicities. Testing and Treatment Testing for sleep apnea is easier than ever. continued on page 20
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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • June 2018