How Sleep Apnea Can Affect Your Brain

Sleep apnea doesn’t just leave you feeling exhausted during the day; it affects your entire body in a variety of ways. In many cases, the lack of quality sleep can take its toll on your cognitive health, leading to memory problems over time. It’s important to be aware of the impact sleep apnea can have on your brain as well as what you can do to ensure that you get a good night’s rest.

Sleep Apnea and Your Brain

Sleep plays an important role in both short-term and long-term memory. During the later stages of sleep, the information you gathered during the day is consolidated, making it easier for your brain to access later.

However, if you’re suffering from sleep apnea, then your sleep cycle is likely being interrupted multiple times during the night. This is due to interruptions in your breathing forcing your brain to wake the body up. As such, you won’t spend enough time in the stages of the sleep cycle where memory consolidation takes place.

Even worse, the reduced flow of oxygen during the night can damage the brain’s fiber pathways and cause structural alterations in its white matter. This affects your memory as well as your brain’s ability to regulate mood and blood pressure.

What Can You Do If Sleep Apnea is Affecting Your Brain?

In many cases, the damage to the brain can be reversed if sleep apnea is properly treated. If you don’t want poor memory and other cognitive issues to start disrupting your life, you should be proactive about having a possible sleep disorder diagnosed and treated. Call a sleep expert if you notice daytime exhaustion, a dry mouth, mood swings, and any other possible symptoms of sleep apnea.

Traditionally, sleep apnea is treated with a CPAP machine, which continually forces air into your airway to keep it from collapsing and disrupting your breathing. However, patients who are CPAP intolerant may benefit from wearing an oral appliance instead. An oral appliance works by shifting the jaw slightly forward to stop soft tissues in the mouth and throat from blocking the airway; this approach is often much more comfortable and convenient.

Some patients might benefit from combining CPAP therapy with oral appliance therapy. Doing so often makes it possible to use the CPAP machine on a lower setting, causing it to make less noise. Oftentimes, combined therapy can be more effective than CPAP therapy or oral appliance therapy alone.

If you’re worried that sleep apnea might be contributing to your memory loss, you need to act quickly. Once you get the care you need, you can start enjoying high-quality sleep again – along with all the benefits it has for your cognitive and overall health.

About the Author

Dr. Stephen Dean is very passionate when it comes to sleep apnea therapy, and he has completed countless advanced courses on the topic. He is a member of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine as well as the Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorder Disciplines. His practice, Covington Sleep Center, offers personalized solutions for people suffering from sleep-disordered breathing. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Dean, visit his website or call (770) 710-5268.