Insomnia with sleep apnea are closely connected, and the rate of comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea is high. So there’s a high chance that if you have one, you’ll get the other.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that implies difficulty falling or staying asleep usually caused by stress, medication, caffeine or sleep apnea. Having OSA means experiencing obstructive breathing accompanied by snoring, gasping or choking sounds, and a drop in oxygen levels. This causes a person to wake briefly and repeatedly at night. So having sleep apnea and insomnia is very common.
Does sleep apnea cause insomnia?
The most prevalent symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, fatigue, and high blood pressure. If insomnia appears on the list, it isn’t among the headliners because people aren’t aware insomnia is a symptom of sleep apnea. If you suffer from sleep apnea, your body suffers micro-awakenings to restore breathing. Some roll over and continue sleeping; others don’t. It’s a sort of stress for our bodies.
Protective mechanisms work similar in all people, but the brain reacts differently. Sometimes rolling over is not enough to feel safe, and our brain blocks sleeping as it’s associated with the unpleasant experience of breathing pauses.
Sleep apnea and insomnia treatment
Treatment for both can be mutually beneficial, but following these rules are key to a healthy sleep:
- Avoid TV and gadgets before sleep;
- Keep the room cool and clean;
- Observe steady bedtime hours;
- Avoid hard or caffeine-rich drinks before bed;
- Eat light food.
Meditation can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality. Know more about the best time to meditate here.
As you can see, sleep apnea insomnia treatment is based on taking care of your sleep. The main task is to stop the brain perceiving sleep as stress and returning the feeling of safety and rest.
Insomnia can be a big problem if you let things slip but if you correct your pre-, on- and post-sleep habits, there is a high chance to sleep well again.
Goodsomnia Lab can monitor your sleep by revealing sleep debt or oversleeping in a detailed report. But the app’s key feature is detecting snoring sounds and analyzing them. A sleep report with a snoring graph can be used as an initial non-medical assessment. It also offers tips on how to correct your lifestyle to improve your sleep quality. Try it free on your iOS or Android smartphone and start checking your sleep nightly.
