There is a strong--and scary--connection between sleep apnea and heart disease. In fact, people with severe untreated sleep apnea are five times more likely to die from heart disease. Another study found that individuals with sleep apnea are twice as likely to experience sudden cardiac death. Sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, heart attacks and strokes; it has also been connected to high rates of diabetes and kidney disease. 

Sleep apnea is a very prevalent condition--in fact, an estimated 1 in 5 American adults has the sleep disorder. 

By that number, we should all be able to name at least a handful of people with sleep apnea. But in fact, 80% of sleep apnea cases go untreated and most people don't even know they have it.  Those with sleep apnea don't usually remember waking up during the night and might brush off their symptoms as just being tired. And the only way to know for sure if you have the condition is to be tested for it. 

So here are our top 5 reasons why you should have a sleep study--and the benefits that could result from taking back your restful sleep.

In the United States alone, 22 million people suffer from sleep apnea--a statistic so seroius that the CDC has called sleep disorders a "public health epidemic". At the same time, an estimated 18 million American men struggle with erectile dysfunction. Now, the medical community is coming to realize is that the prevalence of these two conditions might not be entirely a coincidence. In fact, research shows that the chronic exhaustion caused by sleep disorders could be a cause of erectile dysfunction. 

Sleep apnea takes a serious toll on the entire body. Not only does it have mental effects, but there are also physical consequences of poor sleep and the loss of breath that occurs during an apnea. 

Today is Valentine's Day and February is National Heart Month, so today we're going to examine the effects of sleep apnea on the heart--both physically and emotionally. 

Does your child toss and turn frequently during the night? Does he or she often wake up with headaches or a dry throat, or exhibit problematic behavior during the day? If so, you might not be aware that your child could be suffering from the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea.

Many parents might never consider that their children have OSA because of the misleading stereotype of a sleep apnea patient as a middle-aged man. In fact, an estimated 2-3% of children suffer from childhood sleep apnea. However, the causes—and, thus, the treatment—for kids can be very different than for adults. Read on to learn how to recognize your child’s symptoms, and what you can do to return them to a peaceful and restful night’s sleep.

Sleep apnea results in decreased oxygen flow to the body, poor sleep, and an elevated heart rate. It can lead to higher blood sugar levels and increases the risk of serious cardiovascular complications. Do these symptoms sound familiar? Unfortunately, it could be because these factors are also closely related to type 2 diabetes. This connection is not just hypothetical; in fact, a recent study has found evidence linking sleep apnea and heightened risk of diabetes. 

Last year we wrote a post on—that’s right—marijuana as a potential treatment for sleep apnea. Since then, midterm elections have brought a new wave of legalization to the West Coast: Alaska and Oregon both decriminalized recreational use of the drug. So we thought it was worthwhile to take a second look at whether pot, scientifically or politically, could become a valid treatment for sleep apnea.

Medical science and medical professionals used to think that sleep apnea was a disorder that only affected older, obese men, but recent studies have proven that to be a misconception. Sleep apnea can affect anyone from age 2 to 102 and beyond, regardless of one’s sex or weight.

Snoring is very common; in fact, 1 in 3 Americans do it! Sometimes snoring is perfectly normal and innocuous—but at others, it can point to a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder. Snoring is one of the most obvious symptoms of sleep apnea, a serious condition that can cause everything from heart trouble to memory loss. In this blog post we explain the causes of snoring, how it relates to this troubling sleep condition, and how to tell if you should be concerned. 

If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, the go-to treatment is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy. But there's also a less common alternative—surgery. What types of operations are available to treat sleep apnea, are they effective, and why is CPAP treatment preferred in the majority of cases?