Those with the sleep disorder can have increased insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and the body storing more fat, especially belly fat. Sleep apnea may cause metabolic dysfunction through a few different pathways.
Will Treating Sleep Apnea Help You Lose Weight? Evidence suggests that OSA patients who effectively manage their sleep apnea may find it easier to lose weight.
There are a range of different treatment options for sleep apnea. The most common is going to be CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. This is usually completed using a machine that can be set up close to your bed. Losing weight may be more difficult because of the pressure that the condition puts on your body.
Sleep apnea is a sleep breathing condition that occurs when your airway becomes blocked during sleep. When the airway becomes obstructed, you wake up frequently throughout the night, which prevents you from getting the sleep you need. Obstructive sleep apnea can also contribute to weight gain and obesity.
Aerophagia—or air swallowing—results in burping, abdominal distention, and discomfort, and oh my—flatulence! Aerophagia can develop during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use. But most CPAP patients do not openly complain of aerophagia symptoms, and clinicians may not specifically ask about it.
Three months of CPAP therapy reduced the basal metabolic rate in the absence of changes in physical activity, thus favoring a positive energy balance in terms of energy expenditure.
Notably, IGF-1 stimulates protein synthesis and maintains muscle mass. Our study and others have reported significant increases in IGF-1 in patients adherent to CPAP. Thus, the restoration of the GH axis and increase in IGF-1 in CPAP adherent patients likely contributed to weight gain and potential increase in LBM.
Obesity may be linked to sleep apnea because fat deposits in the upper airways, making them narrower and more likely to collapse. Fat can build up in the thorax, or chest area, reducing how well you can breathe. And fat may also build up in the tongue, making it heavier and more likely to block the airway.
If you undergo surgery, it will take several days to recover. If you are using CPAP, it will take some time before you notice the positive effects of the treatment. Averagely, the effects will start showing around three months, and full recovery can be up to a year.
Studies show that patients who develop sleep apnea before the age of fifty have a life expectancy between 8 and 18 years. Fortunately lifestyle changes, treatment, and other interventions can improve the life expectancy of someone with sleep apnea.
If you have problems with OSA from being obese or overweight, weight loss can be an option to help manage your OSA. Losing as little as 5-10% of your body weight can improve or resolve OSA.
Foods to Avoid If You Have Sleep Apnea
People with sleep apnea are already at an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Eating fatty or highly processed meats like bacon, sausage, salami, ham, and hot dogs can increase your chances of heart trouble.
You need a healthy diet
Your main goal with your Sleep Apnea Weight Loss Diet: fewer calories, more nutrients. It means you want to mostly eat: vegetables, fresh fruit, unprocessed whole grains, lean proteins, and low fat and nonfat dairy products.
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition. Sleep apnea happens when your upper airway muscles relax while you sleep. This causes you to not get enough air.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition. Complications of OSA can include: Daytime fatigue. The repeated awakenings associated with sleep apnea make typical, restorative sleep impossible, in turn making severe daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability likely.
The more oxygen we take in, the more fat our bodies are able to burn as the metabolic process is kicked into higher gear! Conversely, with less oxygen, the metabolic process slows down and fat storage takes hold leading to weight gain. Oxygen is the 'food' for our body cells.
Eating a healthy diet and exercising remains key to any regimen of weight loss, but did you know that your weight also could be impacted by the way you breathe? Specifically, breathing through the mouth on a regular basis can increase your likelihood of being overweight or obese.
Using a CPAP machine every night can lead to having a constant dry or runny nose, feeling congested all the time, and even weakened throat muscles.
Change Your Sleeping Position
Sleeping on your back makes you swallow more air, just like it makes snoring worse. Try sleeping on your side. If that doesn't work, elevating your torso may help because it narrows the esophagus.
It keeps your airways open while you sleep so you can receive the oxygen you need for optimal function. CPAP machines can significantly improve sleep quality and reduce your risk for a number of health issues, including heart disease and stroke.
Some patients immediately feel increased energy levels with their CPAP therapy, while others notice a difference in just a couple of weeks.
Patients who used CPAP for at least 6 hours a night were nearly eight times as likely to demonstrate normal memory abilities compared with patients who used CPAP for 2 or fewer hours a night.