What Did You Forget Today? A Poor Night’s Sleep Could Be Behind Your Memory Problems
Scientists have found that a good night’s sleep can seriously improve your memory and a poor night’s sleep will have the reverse effect, leaving us tired, irritable and unable to recall events that happened only minutes earlier!
As we get older, our memory deteriorates slightly. However, the common sleeping disorder known as sleep apnea might be responsible for much of our memory loss: sleep apnea and memory retention are connected. Sleep apnea creeps up on us in that 90 – 95% of sufferers are unaware they have a problem, despite feeling exhausted during the day and unable to function efficiently.
Sleep apnea causes sleep to be interrupted several hundred times throughout a normal night’s sleep. This is due to the airflow being blocked due to fatty deposits in the neck or throat. The sleeper will usually display certain symptoms such as snoring, but this may be the only signal of there being any problem, other than extreme fatigue during waking hours. There are 19 million sufferers of sleep apnea in America alone, most of whom do not realise they have the disorder: unfortunately, most physicians are unfamiliar with the condition.
Research has revealed that sleep and memory problems go hand in hand apnea affects the same area of the brain that is affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, or alcoholic memory loss, through showing 20% shrinkage of mammillary bodies that operate memory function. Researchers note: “The reduced size of the mammillary bodies suggests that these people have suffered a harmful brain injury”
Thankfully, sleep apnea is easily diagnosed and treated. Diagnosis is made by first conducting a sleep test, either in the patient’s home or in a sleep lab. Sensors will record anomalies in the sleeping pattern of a patient, highlighting snoring, gasping, excessive muscle spasms and momentary arrests in breathing caused by blockage in the airflow.
Treatment is usually in the form of CPAP therapy, which involves wearing a comfortable face mask that regulates and delivers a flow of air through the nasal cavity. Once normal sleeping patterns are restored, the patient experiences a dramatic improvement in quality of life and general health.
Sleep apnea can be the underlying cause of a number of serious disorders such as high blood pressure and obesity, leading to cardio vascular diseases, stroke and Type 2 Diabetes. Restoring a healthy sleep routine is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The Aviisha Wellness Institute offers a sleep quiz which could assess your sleeping routine and determine whether it is healthy. Dr. Avi, Director of the Institute, says: “Many patients assume that memory loss is something they should just simply accept, but it’s not. Getting diagnosed and treated for sleep disorders can not only improve the quality of your sleep and provide quick relief from fatigue: it also can improve your memory.”
The Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute in Los Angeles is recognised as a pioneer in sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment. Patients are tested for sleep apnea either in the comfort of their own home or in the Aviisha Los Angeles sleep labs. Aviisha provides the most advanced and thorough treatment for sleep apnea and provides patients with discounted rates for auto CPAPs and other sleep aids.
- Sleep Apnea and the Risk of Heart Disease
- What Happens When You Have Been Prescribed a Sleep Study?
- Does Your Child Have Sleep Apnea?
- Find A Snoring Cure If You Have Sleep Apnea
- Is Sleep Apnea a Common Disorder?
- Sleep Apnea –Can It Be Serious?
- 2 Sleep Apnea Devices That'll Help You Get the Sleep You Need
- Is it Snoring or Sleep Apnea?
- Falling Asleep at the Wheel
- Sleep Apnea – Determining the Type of Sleeping Disorder through its Manifestations
