Obesity Is More Than A Leading Cause For Snoring
Snoring is a common sleep disorder, one that affects between 30 to 50% of adults.
The condition worsens with age, and one of the biggest causes of snoring is obesity.
Interestingly enough, obesity happens to be one of the most often cited contributor to many health problems, not just snoring.
Not surprisingly, obesity has a huge impact on quality of sleep, and not just snoring.
Here are three sleep-focused areas in addition to snoring that obesity can be blamed for causing or contributing to.
1.
Sleep Apnea.
Because obesity is the presence of fat, it is no surprise that a large percentage of people with sleep apnea are also obese.
This is because, as with snoring, the extra fatty tissue in the back of the throat obstructs breathing in the upper airway.
Sleep apnea is considered a serious sleep disorder and can have serious and terminal health consequences, including heart disease and stroke.
2.
Back pain.
Although back pain is not itself a sleep disorder, it can result in poor sleep.
Since obesity can wear a mattress's support system down, the sleeper will not enjoy the support his or her body needs to ensure a proper night of sleep.
Without proper support, back pain often ensues.
The back pain combined with poor support means specific pressure points in the body are not "comfortable," resulted in sleep interruption so that those pressure points can be relieved.
With a lack of proper sleep, obesity is further compounded because people who lack an appropriate amount of REM sleep will often over-eat throughout the day to compensate for deficient energy levels.
Again, while back pain itself is not consider a sleep disorder, obesity can cause back pain and thereby interfere with proper sleeping patterns.
3.
Sleep deprivation.
Because obesity is often caused by poor eating choices and a lack of exercise, many obese individuals will not receive the sleep they need.
Aside from the sleep-time problems outlined above, obesity's impact on diet has negative impact on energy levels at bed time.
People who suffer from sleep deprivation will be less productive throughout the day and at night may feel a surge in energy levels, keeping them from getting the sleep they need to function properly the following day, leading them to eat poorly to raise energy levels and thereby robbing themselves from the following night's sleep.
As with the back pain issue, sleep deprivation is often self-perpetuating.
These three sleep-related problems can be fairly easily solved by adopting a proper diet and exercise routine (and thereby losing weight).
When these sleep issues become serious enough, often the only way to correct them is through invasive surgery, medical devices and/or heavy medication that have side effects on their own.
If nothing else, these three points should encourage obese individuals to step back and reassess their situation and hopefully adopt a weight-loss program to improve their sleep health.
The condition worsens with age, and one of the biggest causes of snoring is obesity.
Interestingly enough, obesity happens to be one of the most often cited contributor to many health problems, not just snoring.
Not surprisingly, obesity has a huge impact on quality of sleep, and not just snoring.
Here are three sleep-focused areas in addition to snoring that obesity can be blamed for causing or contributing to.
1.
Sleep Apnea.
Because obesity is the presence of fat, it is no surprise that a large percentage of people with sleep apnea are also obese.
This is because, as with snoring, the extra fatty tissue in the back of the throat obstructs breathing in the upper airway.
Sleep apnea is considered a serious sleep disorder and can have serious and terminal health consequences, including heart disease and stroke.
2.
Back pain.
Although back pain is not itself a sleep disorder, it can result in poor sleep.
Since obesity can wear a mattress's support system down, the sleeper will not enjoy the support his or her body needs to ensure a proper night of sleep.
Without proper support, back pain often ensues.
The back pain combined with poor support means specific pressure points in the body are not "comfortable," resulted in sleep interruption so that those pressure points can be relieved.
With a lack of proper sleep, obesity is further compounded because people who lack an appropriate amount of REM sleep will often over-eat throughout the day to compensate for deficient energy levels.
Again, while back pain itself is not consider a sleep disorder, obesity can cause back pain and thereby interfere with proper sleeping patterns.
3.
Sleep deprivation.
Because obesity is often caused by poor eating choices and a lack of exercise, many obese individuals will not receive the sleep they need.
Aside from the sleep-time problems outlined above, obesity's impact on diet has negative impact on energy levels at bed time.
People who suffer from sleep deprivation will be less productive throughout the day and at night may feel a surge in energy levels, keeping them from getting the sleep they need to function properly the following day, leading them to eat poorly to raise energy levels and thereby robbing themselves from the following night's sleep.
As with the back pain issue, sleep deprivation is often self-perpetuating.
These three sleep-related problems can be fairly easily solved by adopting a proper diet and exercise routine (and thereby losing weight).
When these sleep issues become serious enough, often the only way to correct them is through invasive surgery, medical devices and/or heavy medication that have side effects on their own.
If nothing else, these three points should encourage obese individuals to step back and reassess their situation and hopefully adopt a weight-loss program to improve their sleep health.
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