Sleep apnea can be very serious. When you stop breathing in the night multiple times, it can make it very difficult to get the rest you need.
That can cause other medical conditions to get worse, can affect your thinking, and may lead to more accidents or mistakes. Mild sleep apnea may not require treatment, but how do you know where the line is between mild and dangerous?
What’s the Cause?
In order to determine if treatment is needed, you may need to have a sleep study done or meet with a sleep expert to determine why you stop breathing off and on during the night. In some cases, the solution to your sleep apnea may not involve any type of special treatment.
For example, if you smoke, quitting may greatly help. Losing weight can also be a solution for some mild types of sleep apnea. For other issues, though, you may need to come see us for some sleep gear or other solutions.
Do I Need Treatment?
If you’re concerned that you need to have your sleep apnea, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to any of them, it might be time to get help.
Am I tired more often than not? If you’re tired every day, and if you start the day feeling exhausted, you’re not sleeping well. You need to have your sleep apnea treated.
Do I have problems thinking clearly? If you’re only getting a few hours of interrupted sleep every night, you’re not going to be able to focus or think clearly. If you find yourself struggling to comprehend something fairly simple or if it’s difficult to form a though, you should talk to us about options.
Have I made a good number of mistakes or had more accidents than usual? Find yourself tripping over your feet more than you’d like? Have people found errors in your work? If so, it likely comes from the fact that you’re not getting enough sleep.
Even if you answer no to these questions, sleep apnea treatment may still be a good idea. Call us today to talk about what we can do to help you get a good night’s sleep.
