Sleep Apnea and Your Weight

There are many factors involved when it comes to losing weight and staying healthy, and believe it or not, our sleep habits are one of those factors. Thousands of people suffer from sleep apnea, which is a condition that causes sufferers to stop breathing at night. Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with weight loss. Well, being overweight can really affect sleep apnea, and it is important for anyone with this condition to be able to maintain a healthy weight in order to protect their health. In fact, anyone who does have a few pounds to lose and who also has sleep apnea will probably get a weight loss recommendation from their physician.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes reductions or pausing in breathing while sufferers are sleeping. This is a condition that is much more common in adults than in children, although there are many cases of children having sleep apnea. If a person stops breathing for ten seconds or more during sleep, chances are that they have a certain level of sleep apnea.

Many sufferers take less than 25% of their normal breath, or stop breathing all together for ten seconds or longer. Because breathing is disrupted, sleep is disrupted, and sufferers find that they wake up feeling tired and listless, and not wanting to get out of bed at all. There are a few different ways to treat sleep apnea, both surgical and non-surgical. In extreme cases, the bones around the sinus cavities are broken and reset in order to make patients able to breathe easier at night when they are sleeping.

There are two different types of sleep apnea, central and obstructive. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive, and it is responsible for about 95% of all sleep apnea cases. This is when the tissue in the throat blocks the airway, causing breathing difficulties. This is the type of sleep apnea that overweight people are most likely to develop, and losing weight can reduce, and in many cases, eliminate the problem.

Sleep Apnea and Your Diet

There are all kinds of great reasons to maintain a healthy weight, and it is extremely important for those who suffer from sleep apnea to make sure that they are not overweight. Most people who are overweight have extra fat all over their bodies, not just around their waists and hips/thighs. Many people have a lot of fat around their necks, and this can interfere with breathing during sleep. This, in combination with the fact that the muscles and tissues around the neck and throat relax and collapse during sleep can make sleep apnea even more dangerous for many people. At the very least, it will lead to snoring, which is annoying in itself, and at the worst, it can lead to a number of more serious ailments, including heart disease and stroke.

Eating Right

If you are overweight and you have sleep apnea, it is important that you take steps to shed those extra pounds. This doesn’t mean that you have to go out and do anything drastic, and you don’t have to bother with any of the crazy fad diets that are out there. All you really need to do in order to maintain a healthy weight, and enjoy better overall health, is to follow a healthy diet that is well balanced, with all of the nutrients that our bodies need. Make sure that you are eating healthy foods, and staying within a healthy daily caloric intake. You should be eating foods that are high in protein, such as lean red meat, white meat poultry, fish, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. High protein foods are going to help provide your body with energy throughout the day, and which you may not otherwise have, especially if you suffer from sleep apnea. Make sure that you are getting enough calories in your diet, but not so many that you end up gaining weight.

Planning Your Meals when You Have Sleep Apnea

It is important to plan your meals if you have sleep apnea, so you will be eating the right foods at the right time of the day. One thing you will probably have to do is eliminate a lot of the foods you are currently eating, especially if you tend to follow a junk food diet. Make sure that your meals are rich in fiber and protein, as these foods are going to help you feel fuller, and you will have less of a tendency to snack at night (which can cause problems during sleep as well). Choose healthy snacks if you must eat at night, making sure that they are also light foods, such as plain unsalted popcorn.

Getting Plenty of Exercise

It is always important for everyone to get a certain amount of exercise every day, but when someone suffers from sleep apnea, it is even more important. When you exercise, you burn off not only calories, but a lot of excess energy, and this is going to help you sleep better at night. Any exercise is good, but there are some exercises that are going to be much better than others, and more enjoyable. For instance, rather than doing boring stationary exercises, enjoy going for a walk, or take part in some sports. You will have fun, get in great shape, and have a better chance of getting a good night’s sleep, because you won’t have a problem with weight affecting sleep apnea. It is a good idea to speak with your physician about the type of exercises you should be doing, and to set up a healthy exercise schedule.

If you are overweight and have sleep apnea, chances are that you will see a marked improvement in your sleep if you start eating healthier and getting more exercise. You will be healthier overall, sleep better at night because you are breathing easier, and feel more rested and energized during the day.