What Happens To Your Brain When You Have Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea

"Studies suggest nearly 60 percent of people with OSA experience some degree of cognitive impairment, including difficulties with attention, working memory, and episodic memory. Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are also more common. Over time, untreated sleep apnea has been linked to declines in concentration, executive function, and long-term memory. So what's actually happening inside the brain while someone with undiagnosed sleep apnea sleeps?"

"When we're awake, muscles in the throat stay active, keeping the airway open, Kezirian explains. During sleep, those muscles relax. In people with sleep apnea, that relaxation allows the airway to collapse, partially or completely blocking breathing - often dozens of times per hour. Each blockage forces the brain to briefly wake the body just enough to restart breathing. These micro-awakenings usually go unnoticed, but they fragment sleep throughout the night."

Approximately 80 million U.S. adults may have sleep apnea while most remain undiagnosed. Obstructive sleep apnea involves repeated airway collapse during sleep, producing micro-awakenings that fragment sleep and prevent restoration even after seven to nine hours in bed. Nearly 60 percent of people with OSA show cognitive impairments including attention, working memory, and episodic memory deficits. Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety occur more commonly. Untreated OSA is linked to long-term declines in concentration, executive function, and memory as the brain remains in a chronic stress and survival mode.

Read at Inverse