Imagine (perhaps you do not have to) being so tired in the afternoon that you fall asleep in a meeting, now on ZOOM of course so your friend can’t kick you under the table to wake you. Then you have to drive in traffic and stay alert to pick up the kids from school, then the kids are cranky, school was tense and you snap at them unable to keep the inside voice in….then dinner burns….then homework time….then…..then…..then….
This is happening in many homes now. The stress of a pandemic, having to stay alert on video conference calls, kids that are stressed, spouses that are stressed……and on top of it all your sleep is horrible. You try to get enough hours of sleep but still wake unrefreshed, with a headache or just feeling sluggish. Is it all Pandemic stress or could it be more?
We hear this every day in our office. People are feeling horrible even after 7-8 hours of sleep. They had mentioned it to their physician once and they were sent for a home sleep study. The results were negative for sleep apnea.
Ruling out Sleep Apnea is an essential step in checking on your sleep health,
however, it is not the only thing that can disrupt your sleep.
A home sleep study may say your “sleep apnea index” is 4 events an hour. That means “only” 4 times an hour something disrupts your breathing. 4 times an hour is normal according to today’s sleep apnea experts but does that sound normal to you? If the dog woke you 4 times an hour ALL NIGHT LONG would you think that was “normal”? Would you do something about it?
Healthy sleep means uninterrupted sleep for 7-8 hours. A normal index for sleep apnea is anything less than 5 interruptions an hour, but that does not mean you are unaffected by less than 5. SO MANY ARE. As a matter of fact, in our practice, some of the most symptomatic, tired, fatigued, and exhausted people are negative for sleep apnea by today’s standards.
Sleep needs to be uninterrupted and healthy. When the brain is disrupted even a small number of times an hour it can be detrimental to the quality of life, vitality, and overall health.
At Sleep Better Live Better we comprehensively assess all parts of your sleep health. If you have never done a home sleep study to assess for sleep apnea, we offer those as a complementary service to start you on a path of learning what might be causing your daytime sleepiness and fatigue. If you have had a study, we help you discover other possible issues leading to you daytime fatigue or sleepiness.
You may have Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) which is a precursor to sleep apnea and often missed or ignored as a possibility for sleepiness and fatigue. You may have a Vitamin D deficiency, which occurs in 90% of those living above the 37th parallel (equivalent to Los Angeles) despite being outside at times or taking a routine amount of supplement. We are the only sleep clinic that offers diagnostic testing and all available non-surgical therapies under one roof.
WE CAN BE YOUR SOLUTION.
Make today the day you do something! Call us or book online for a complimentary online sleep consult and assessment with our knowledgeable sleep therapist. It could impact so many parts of your health, life, and happiness.
Sleep Better Live Better www.sleepbetterlivebetter.ca
604.58SLEEP 604.98SLEEP
