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Sleep Apnoea - Women Often Undiagnosed

Wed, Apr 13, 2011

A recent report on Station CBS4 in Denver, USA, highlights a point we see all too often in The Sleep Therapy Clinics.  Namely:  many of the most common health/wellbeing problems experienced by women are actually symptoms of an underlying SDB (sleep disordered breathing) condition.  

According to Dr Joyce Wasleblen, a specialist at New York’s Sleep Disorder Centre and author of a book on the subject of female sleep disorders, many women are unaware that they have sleep apnea – a disorder which causes them to stop breathing while they’re asleep, which disturbs the quality of their sleep and disrupts their oxygen flow.  

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, trouble concentrating, morning headaches and excessive sleepiness, but many women are misdiagnosed.  This is often because they’re unaware they snore while sleeping, and so they miss one of the most significant ‘indicators’. Dr. Walsleben recommends that women ask their sleep partners if they snore or, if they sleep alone, set a voice recorder before they go to bed to find out for sure. 

According to Walsleben, a good night’s sleep is critical for weight control and general life performance and mood.  The ‘life performance’ and ‘mood’ issues are easily explained – everyone understands that anyone who is deprived of adequate, quality sleep will suffer consequences.  

But the ‘weight control’ issue is a surprise to many people. Research shows this result is because the lipid metabolism is retarded by fractured sleep and low blood oxygen levels.   This recent finding means it is NOT simply a case of ‘overweight people snore’ … but also ‘snoring people get overweight’.   If you snore or suffer from waking tiredness or daytime sleepiness, call us to arrange a diagnostic sleep study.