If an individual does not sleep well and have signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it could impact the brain’s ability to think. A recent report on it says that approximately one of ten people in India is affected by such problem and it impacts the brain functioning of the person as soon their age. This research was led by the former head of the department of neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). This study was conducted more than 7500 adults. This study was conducted by addition of several health institutions in India as well as doctors from the department of epidemiology at Eramus Medical Centre in the Netherlands and the department of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard TH Chen School of Public Health in the US.
The former head told the BBC that this is the first kind of this study in India which seen at various parameters linked to genomics, neuroimaging as well as sleep. There number of males and females in the study were almost equal.
Also Read: Lack of sleep reduces happiness and increases anxiety: Study
What did the research find?
This study explains the reason for conducting this research in India like other countries, increase in the number of the old people living longer than the age limit of people. With the passage of time, the number will get increase.
During the study, people were asked a variety of questions about their sleep which involves lack of sleep, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) etc., and to what extent do they associate to the brain’s capacity for remembering things, planning, design and also sequencing?
The former head said that the research revealed that people who have poor sleep or OSA do not have good brain functioning in comparison to those who do not have any sleep problems.
Also Read: Impact of Sleep Disruptions on Preschoolers’ Emotions and Behavior
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
As per the National Library of Medicine, obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder which refers to the constantly pausing of breathing during sleep. And during the day, breathes and exhales comfortably and there is no interruption during that time. But when sleep at night, muscles relaxes as well as no one can sleep standing up. During sleep, the tongue slides backwards into the throat which obstacles the passage and stops breathing.
What happens during OSA?
At night, when a person stops breathing, he wakes up and there is movement in the tongue. It comes forward in the mouth and the way of breathing is opened, due to which the person starts breathing. After this, the person again falls asleep and then the tongue goes backwards and stops breathing, due to which sleep is broken again. This goes on all night. This is called obstructive sleep apnea.
Doctors stated that there are various levels of sleep in which there is a light or deep sleep, dream or non-dream sleep as well as it helps various parts of the body.
Impact on mental health:
OSA has impact on individual’s mental health. It causes depressive mood, increase stress level, as well as higher anxiety. It develops mood disorders and also impacts the level of concentration. They have struggle in concentrating.
Problem of snoring
In sleep, when the airway is reduced, this is referred to partially obstructed airway. During this situation, the person began snoring and when this path stops fully, it is called sleep apnea. In such a situation, when a person is not breathing, the level of oxygen falls and the level of carbon dioxide increases. The way of breathing opens only when sleep broke. During this situation, people who have sleep apnea, those people lose sleep 15, 25 or 50 times in an hour because they have to get up to open the way of breathing. As a result, the person is unable to sleep and sleep is disturbed.
Tips to control snoring
Doctors recommend keeping your weight under control to avoid snoring as you may have more fatty tissue around your chin. They can narrow the airways and obstruct the passage of air. In such a situation, maintaining a healthy weight can help you get rid of snoring.
- If an individual have a cold and nose is blocked, more likely to snore. In such situation, clean the nose very well before sleeping.
- Snoring also occurs due to alcohol consumption. Alcohol causes the muscle relaxation during sleep, which causes the airways to contract as well as become narrower. To avoid the snoring, avoid the consumption of alcohol before time.
- When an individual lie flat on the back, the fatty tissue under tongue, chin, and chin can block the airways. In such a situation, if start snoring turn to one side and sleep.
Also Read: Influence of Horror Movies on Sleep and Dreams
Effect of lack of sleep
Doctors say that if a person’s sleep is not complete, it affects the whole body and also affects work performance. These are:
- Lack of concentration
- affects memory,
- affects decision-making ability of the brain,
- Affects emotional health, which leads to irritability, anger.
- Fall asleep during the day
- Anxiety and depression
- Lack of energy,
- impact on blood pressure,
- risk of heart disease and diabetes,
- Reduces the ability to cope with the disease.
- Feeling tired and sleepy during the day.
Also Read: The Connection between Sleep and Productivity
Treatment of OSA
Various conservative treatments are available for OSA:
- Loss of weight: weight loss can help in treating OSA. Weight loss approximately 10 percent could make a difference.
- No drinking: due to the alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of closing the airway during sleep and stop from breathing normally. Reduction in drinking prevents an individual from this situation.
- Lying on the side during sleep: if you experience only minor sleep apnea, but you sleep on the back, lying on the side may be helpful.
- Nasal sprays: if breathing becomes hard during sleep because of sinus congestion or other issues, this might be helpful.
Other clinical treatments are:
- Nerve stimulators
- Oral appliances such as mouthpieces
- Surgery
- Positive airway pressure devices
- Adaptive ventilation devices
Surgeries used for treatment are:
- Somnoplasty
- Tonsillectomy (adenoidectomy)
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
- Jaw surgery
- Nasal surgery
References+
- www.bbc.com
- www.mayoclinic.org
- www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov
- www.webmd.com
