Sleep apnea has a devastating effect on your body. It can also have a severe impact on your mental state. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may also experience anxiety. If you do experience anxiety, you may also be more prone to panic attacks. To add to that, your anxiety can even make your sleep apnea worse. That is why it is important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects about 22 million Americans. When you suffer from sleep apnea, you will experience repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. This often occurs when your brain cannot send the necessary signals for breathing while you are asleep. But it often happens because there is something partially or fully blocking your airway. If this goes untreated, it can increase your risk of heart attacks and even car accidents.
What are anxiety disorders?
If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, it means you might be excessively worried, fearful or stressed on a regular basis during everyday situations. It is normal to feel anxious on occasion. However, if your anxiety begins to impede on your ability to go through life normally that is when it develops into a disorder.
The link between sleep apnea and anxiety
Sleep apnea and anxiety disorders share some common symptoms. Those include insomnia and fatigue. In fact, some might mistake one for the other before a proper diagnosis is made. The breathing interruptions associated with sleep apnea cause your brain to jolt your body awake multiple times a night. When you experience this lack of rest, it can make it difficult for the brain to deal with stress. As a result, sleep apnea can make any existing anxiety worse.
But treatment can help. That is why it is important to contact us at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions to learn more about sleep apnea and what treatment options are available.