Sleep plays an important role in your body’s functioning. It regulates your body’s energy levels, appetite, and metabolism. Frequent interruptions in your sleep cycle can have serious repercussions on your physical well-being. These include conditions such as Sleep Apnea, among others.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing repeatedly interrupts during sleep. As a result, your sleep pattern becomes irregular, leading to poor-quality sleep that can cause a number of health problems, including obesity.

 

How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Body

Sleep apnea leads to deterioration of sleep quality. Even if one gets enough hours of sleep, the body fails to get enough rest due to interruptions. It negatively affects how the body functions during the day. One feels exhausted, tired, and sluggish. At the same time, the body’s recovery process is affected, which in turn impacts metabolic processes. It speeds up weight gain due to changes in metabolism and hormones. Not getting enough sleep impairs hypothalamic growth, a brain region that regulates appetite and energy expenditure.

Why Sleep Apnea Causes Weight Gain

Sleep apnea, directly or indirectly, causes weight gain by creating a vicious cycle in which poor sleep triggers weight gain. Let’s explore some of the causes in detail.

It Disrupts Hunger Hormones

The problem with sleep apnea is that it disrupts the body’s hormonal balance. Due to poor sleeping, there is an excess of ghrelin in one’s body that triggers hunger. Moreover, due to sleep apnea, there is less leptin, which triggers fullness. All of this leads to a condition where a person feels hungry all the time. A person ends up consuming much more food than necessary.

Furthermore, cravings for junk foods such as fatty and sweet ones increase. Leptin is the hormone that signals to us that we have had our fill and do not need any more food. Obese individuals naturally have higher leptin levels. Interestingly, patients suffering from sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, such as insomnia, were also found to have 50% more leptin than non-sufferers.

It Slows Down Metabolism

The process of your metabolism is heavily reliant on adequate sleep for it to work optimally. Sleep apnea means that your body is unable to obtain sufficient rest. This will result in slower metabolism, leading your body to store fat rather than burn it. Slow metabolism can make weight loss much harder. Your body’s progress rate may be slower despite having a healthy diet.

It Reduces Energy and Activity

Fatigue is common among people with sleep apnea. Lack of energy makes it hard to accomplish activities. Physical exercise seems too strenuous to be carried out, and hence, one misses out on exercising. Lack of physical activity means the body uses less energy. The result is weight gain. One finds it hard to engage in physical activity because one’s body feels constantly exhausted.

It Increases Stress Levels

Improper sleep puts stress on the body. It increases cortisol release, a stress hormone. High levels of cortisol are directly linked to weight gain, especially around the belly. It also fuels emotional eating. People eat more when under stress. This adds extra calories to the body, thus affecting the weight. Managing sleep apnea and insomnia helps reduce stress. Consult your doctor and take medication for relief.

It Leads to Insulin Resistance

Sleep apnea may impair your body’s ability to handle glucose. This leads to Insulin Resistance, meaning your body is unable to use insulin. Consequently, blood glucose levels remain high since the sugar is not absorbed by your body for energy production. Insulin resistance results in obesity and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is difficult to lose weight when you suffer from this disorder. However, adequate sleep is essential in regulating blood glucose levels.

It Creates a Cycle of Weight Gain

Gaining weight and suffering from sleep apnea are correlated. Weight problems predispose you to sleep apnea, while, on the other hand, sleep apnea can cause additional weight gain. Therefore, there exists a vicious circle that might be difficult to break. The more you weigh, the worse the symptoms of sleep apnea will become. This worsens your sleep even further, resulting in numerous health complications. Therefore, it is important to interrupt this circle by treating it properly.

How to Manage Sleep Apnea and Weight

Managing sleep apnea improves your overall quality of life. Let’s discuss some common ways to manage sleep apnea without impacting your body weight.

• Consult your doctor to see whether a CPAP machine improves your sleep quality. It helps keep your airway open and enhances breathing quality. This also allows you to get deep sleep.
• Lifestyle changes play a crucial role in weight management. Maintaining a good weight reduces symptoms of sleep apnea and insomnia. Routine physical activities and a balanced diet help improve sleep quality and weight. 
• Quit smoking or reduce how much you smoke. 
• Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption.
• Take your medication as prescribed by your doctor. In many cases, Zopiclone works great to treat sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea.

Check Symptoms in the AI-Powered Symptom Checker Tool

Symptom-checker tools are smart tools that let you check symptoms with ease. Just type about your disorder, and it will fetch details about it. The more information you enter, the better. It takes just a few seconds to start. Once the symptoms have been fed into the program, the diagnosis process can begin. The input is matched against the program’s database of medical knowledge. In a matter of seconds, you will get a diagnosis for the disease you are suffering from.

All diagnoses are accompanied by general information about the disease. This is done to help you understand the cause of the disease and whether further medical attention is required.

 

Conclusion

In many different ways, sleep apnea can impact your weight. This condition disrupts hormone regulation, slows your metabolic rate, and makes you feel less energized. All of these things will make it much easier for you to put on weight. When you treat sleep apnea and straighten out your sleep habits, your body receives more support. It gets easier for you to regulate your appetite and activity level and stay in shape. Sleep is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. Follow Medipedia to learn how sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep disorders affect your overall health. Make full use of symptom checker tools and discuss everything in detail with your doctor to ensure you get the right treatment and medication.