{"id":23208,"date":"2025-09-19T16:53:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T20:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valuecare.wpgamma.com\/?p=23208"},"modified":"2025-09-19T16:53:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T20:53:17","slug":"sleep-apnea-and-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valuecare.wpgamma.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/19\/sleep-apnea-and-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep apnea and depression"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sleep\u00a0apnea<\/a>\u00a0and depression have such similar symptoms its hard to tell them apart. Fatigue,\u00a0irritability<\/a>, lack of\u00a0concentration<\/a>, lost interest in activities, and over eating can be signs of both sleep apnea and\u00a0depression<\/a>. Interestingly physicians can confuse the two.In a study published in the September 2005 issue of Chest researchers report that many patients with depression improved markedly when they were treated with the remedy for sleep apnea, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). The combination of sleep\u00a0apnea<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0depression<\/a>\u00a0isnt necessarily applicable to all patients with either sleep apnea or depression. But because of the strong correlation, patients with one of the diagnoses should be evaluated for the second.<\/p>\n

Some physicians disagree but a quick screening in the office is often enough to suggest whether further testing for sleep apnea and\u00a0depression<\/a>\u00a0are warranted.<\/p>\n

The results from research studies does beg the question which came first, the chicken or the egg? It appears that patients who do suffer from\u00a0obstructive sleep<\/a>\u00a0apnea have a higher risk of suffering from depression as well. Are they\u00a0depressed<\/a>\u00a0because they arent able to function as well due to lack of appropriate sleep or do they look\u00a0depressed<\/a>\u00a0because they are functioning without rest?<\/p>\n

In\u00a0obstructive sleep<\/a>\u00a0apnea the patients airway is obstructed by some mechanical problem such as the tongue or soft palate. During sleep they have trouble reaching REM sleep, the time of sleep that gives the most rest to the body and brain. If they do reach REM they dont stay there long and end up awakening to feel tired and foggy. People who suffer from\u00a0obstructive sleep<\/a>\u00a0apnea often are sleepy during the day, take naps often and eat to stay awake. As they gain weight the problems with obstruction increases which also increases the amount of\u00a0obstructive sleep<\/a>\u00a0apnea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lack of restful sleep results in poor productivity and mistakes and accidents. Often families dont understand how the sufferer can sleep as much as they do and continue to be tired, foggy and sleepy. Placing the shoe on the other foot you find that\u00a0depression<\/a>\u00a0does disrupt\u00a0sleep patterns<\/a>\u00a0and can often result in\u00a0insomnia<\/a>\u00a0or the inability to get sleep. The differentiation is that with sleep\u00a0apnea<\/a>\u00a0the patient has no difficulty sleeping but the sleep isnt restful. With depressive sleep disruption the patient may or may not fall to sleep easily, the sleep may not be restful but they do reach REM sleep.<\/p>\n

In a study released by Stanford University in November 2003 researchers found a statistically significant link between those who have sleep apnea and\u00a0depression<\/a>. People who are\u00a0depressed<\/a>\u00a0are five times more likely to have a\u00a0sleep disorder<\/a>\u00a0than those who arent\u00a0depressed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the National Commission on\u00a0Sleep Disorders<\/a>\u00a0Research 40 million Americans are chronically sick with\u00a0sleep disorders<\/a>. Sleep\u00a0apnea<\/a>\u00a0is the cause of excessive daytime sleepiness experienced by almost 20 million Americans. In the U.S. they estimate that over 11 million people have\u00a0obstructive sleep<\/a>\u00a0apnea between the ages of 30 and 60. Nearly 25% of those experience the disorder at a moderate or severe level.<\/p>\n

Sleep apnea and depression affects more people than you might initially think. That\u00a0snoring<\/a>\u00a0problem could be more than just\u00a0snoring<\/a>; it could be keeping you or a loved one from being productive and developing successful relationships.<\/p>\n

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