Sleep apnea, which causes you to "snap" while sleeping, can also damage your brain.

A study found that people with sleep apnea may have an enlarged hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, and increased damage to white matter.

 

Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing is interrupted intermittently by loud snoring.

It's reported that between 20% and 70% of people who snore also suffer from sleep apnea. When breathing stops, oxygen levels drop, which can affect the brain and is considered a risk factor for stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia.

 

A research team led by Professor Alberto R. Ramos of the University of Miami in the United States conducted a study to investigate the relationship between sleep apnea and brain changes. To do this, the research team measured breathing frequency and blood oxygen concentration while sleeping in 2,667 Latino Americans (average age 68) using a sleep test device, and scanned their brains 10 years later to measure brain volume and hyperdense white matter, which is a damaged area of ​​white matter in the brain tissue. 56% of the participants were classified as having no sleep problems, 28% as having mild sleep problems with 5 to 15 breathing pauses per hour, and 16% as having moderate to severe sleep problems with 15 or more breathing pauses.

After 10 years, brain scan measurements were analyzed after taking into account factors such as age, gender, and high blood pressure. The group with moderate to severe sleep problems had a hippocampus volume that was 0.24㎤ larger than the group without sleep problems, and for each additional episode of sleep disturbance, the hippocampus volume increased by 0.006㎤.

 

The research team explained that lower blood oxygen levels due to sleep apnea were significantly associated with increased hippocampal volume and increased hyperdense white matter, which indicates damage to the deep white matter regions of the brain. They also said that this was consistent with the general decline in brain health that occurs with age.

 

“These findings highlight the complex relationship between sleep health and brain aging,” said study author Professor Ramos. “A clearer understanding of how sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, affect brain volume is crucial to ensuring early and effective treatment, especially for those at high risk for dementia.”

 

Because sleep apnea doesn't resolve on its own, it's best to seek medical attention for treatment. If symptoms are severe, using a positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can also be helpful. Sleeping with your upper body elevated at a 30-40 degree angle or lying on your side can also help improve snoring by widening your airway.

 

The results of this study were recently published in the American Academy of Neurology's journal, Neurology.

 

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I was sleeping and suddenly, "Wow!" It's my husband.

If you sleep on your side, it won't happen,

If you sleep lying straight

I was so sleepy before I heard the gurgling sound

 

This kind of breathing sound really bothers me.

For some reason, when I feel out of breath, I sometimes stop.

 

It's a disease that doesn't get better on its own during sleep.