Sleep Loss, Sleep Apnea & Obesity: A Downward Spiral

You’ve probably been told by your doctor that your risk for sleep apnea increases as your body mass index (BMI) increases. But you might not know that sleep apnea may also be making your weight problem worse, creating a downward spiral in which your sleep disorder affects your weight and your weight affects your sleep disorder.

As Little As 30 Minutes of Lost Sleep Per Night Can Adversely Affect Your Weight

A recent study conducted by Weill Cornell Medical College has found that even a half-hour of lost sleep can lead to issues with obesity and diabetes. The study followed 522 participants who recorded their hours of sleep in a journal for one year. The data revealed that those with a weekday sleep debt had a 72 percent increased risk of obesity, while those who lost just 30 minutes of sleep each night faced an increased risk of insulin resistance. Researchers concluded that proper sleep hygiene, as well as the treatment of any existing sleep disorders, could significantly lower obesity rates.

Stopping the Obesity-Sleep Apnea Spiral

Doctors often recommend that patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea should lose weight. However, they may not fully realize that it is more difficult for patients to lose weight because of their sleep apnea. In fact, sleep apnea makes it difficult to lose weight in a variety of different ways:

• Sleep apnea sufferers may be too fatigued during the day to exercise.
• Sleep apnea sufferers may have difficulties with oxygen intake during exercise.
• Sleep apnea causes sleep loss, which affects weight-controlling and appetite-controlling hormones.
• Sleep apnea causes sleep loss, which affects insulin resistance.
• Sleep apnea causes sleep loss, which affects metabolism.

While taking steps to better control their weight – such as improving exercise and diet – can help sleep apnea patients control their OSA symptoms, successfully treating their sleep apnea may be the real key to controlling their weight. Although lifestyle changes may help, the sleep loss suffered by those with sleep apnea could make it extremely difficult to obtain and keep a healthy weight. Read more about the relationship between obesity and surgical sleep apnea.

Surgical Solutions for Sleep Apnea

At Surgical Sleep Solutions, we have seen again and again that treating sleep apnea can do wonders not only for a person’s general health, but also for their weight and obesity issues. A good night’s rest, with proper and regular oxygen intake, can take off stubborn pounds and help protect against health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. We offer an innovative surgical procedure, bimaxillary advancement, that effectively cures sleep apnea in 95 to 99 percent of our patients. Many of these patients have reported losing weight after the procedure and after their sleep apnea symptoms disappeared. Contact us today to learn more about our surgical solution for sleep apnea.