A Closer Look at the Curious Connection Between Napping and Sleep Apnea

Every night, millions of people miss out on countless hours of sleep due to sleep apnea; what’s worse is that several more cases remain completely undiagnosed! Lost sleep can have several negative consequences, such as daytime fatigue—and one would think that taking a nap is a sensible solution to countering this. However, this isn’t the case: napping is something you should actually avoid doing if you’re dealing with sleep apnea! Keep reading to learn more about this condition and why napping isn’t the answer you may think it is.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

There are different types of sleep apnea, but the most common form is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To put it simply, OSA causes a person to wake up throughout the night due to blockage in their airway that prevents them from breathing as usual. The soft tissues in the airway become obstructed, and to normalize breathing, the brain is kicked out of deep sleep.

These episodes can occur hundreds of times in a single night, and they can result from a variety of factors, both in and out of a patient’s control. In any case, it’s quite a serious condition since it can lead to several types of health issues outside of fatigue and exhaustion. It’s even possible for systematic issues to develop, including hypertension, and an increased risk of cardiovascular illness, and diabetes.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

The fact of the matter is that sleep loss is cumulative, and this “sleep debt” cannot be made up—rather, you should aim to rest consistently on a nightly basis and seek treatment for your sleep apnea if necessary. Two popular solutions used to treat the condition include oral appliance therapy, which relies on customized nightguards that encourage proper airflow, as well as CPAP machine therapy, which utilizes continuous positive airway pressure to keep the throat from collapsing.

It’s worth mentioning that while some sleep apnea symptoms can be helped through at-home remedies and practices, such as adjusting your bedroom’s temperature and sleeping position, nothing is as effective as treatment from a professional.

How Does Napping Impact Sleep Apnea Treatment?

There is a considerable amount of research that states daytime napping can yield numerous positive health benefits, including improved memory, increased alertness, and many more. However, for many people with sleep disorders, naps can do more harm than good!

Napping can interfere with your ability to sleep at night and throw off your circadian rhythm if you’re doing it too often. But what’s worse is that naps can also make it harder to embrace CPAP therapy, especially for beginners. While you’re adjusting to sleep apnea therapy, having sleep debt is actually a good thing—it makes you more tired at the right time to fall asleep and familiarize yourself with your new equipment!

Though it might seem counterintuitive to avoid napping if you’re tired due to your sleep apnea, just trust the process: by soldiering on, you’ll become accustomed to your treatment and before you know it, you’ll be back to sleeping like a baby!

About the Practice

Under the leadership of Dr. Marc Scoles, Dr. Matthew Scoles, and Dr. Jonathan Susat, the talented team at Glastonbury Dental Associates has proudly served families in the Glastonbury, CT community for several years. They’re thrilled to provide patients with a wide range of preventive, restorative, and cosmetic treatment options, as well as sleep apnea therapy. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to set up a visit for you or someone you know, feel free to contact the practice online or over the phone for additional information or assistance. Telephone: (860) 633-3671.