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Chicken or Egg? The Frustrating Connection Between Sleep Apnea & Obesity   

June 13, 2024

obese man sitting on bed

Within the health community, sleep apnea is frequently referred to as a “growing problem.” That’s because the number of people with the condition is increasing each year (affecting around 30 million Americans), and it’s also closely tied to the obesity rate. In short, as more people become obese, more have sleep apnea. Researchers have discovered that either condition can lead to the other, so if you’re dealing with both issues, which one should you address first?

What is Sleep Apnea?

Ideally, your body goes through four distinct phases of sleep throughout the night. However, for people with sleep apnea, this doesn’t happen. That’s because they stop breathing for brief periods several times throughout the night, forcing the sleep cycle to repeatedly restart. What’s missed is the deeper, more restorative stages that allow someone to wake up feeling energized and rested. Common symptoms include feeling exhausted all the time, experiencing morning headaches and sore throats, memory fog, and (more on this below) problems maintaining a healthy weight.

How Obesity Leads to Sleep Apnea

Obesity is a defined condition when someone has a very high level of body fat. This can be detrimental to someone’s physical health in a wide variety of ways, and it can also lower sleep quality. When a person develops a lot of excess tissue on their throat and chest, this makes the airway more prone to becoming obstructed throughout the night, leading to the sleep apnea episodes touched on above.

How Sleep Apnea Leads to Obesity

Studies have shown that when a person is chronically sleep deprived, they need to consume more calories to feel full, and they naturally crave more sugary/high-calorie foods. Plus, they don’t have the energy to exercise, which creates the perfect set of circumstances to put on a lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time.

Why Sleep Should Come First

Even with diet, exercise, medications like Ozempic, or surgery, losing weight takes a lot of time and effort. However, getting sleep apnea under control can be relatively quick and straightforward. Professional treatment with CPAP or oral appliance therapy can allow someone to start getting the quality rest they need in a matter of weeks. This can result in a lowered appetite and make it easier to keep up with consistent exercise. That’s why most healthcare providers will recommend people battling sleep apnea and obesity to get their sleep dialed in first. It can make weight loss (which is never easy) much less taxing mentally and physically.

If you’re overweight and always tired, you’re far from alone, and there is a proven way to get your health back on track. Thankfully, the initial step is relatively simple, and better sleep can make your outlook brighter almost immediately.

About the Practice

Sleep Better Georgia is led by sleep specialist Dr. Jeff Rodgers, and he ensures that each patient receives compassionate and nonjudgmental care that helps them sleep more deeply and comfortably. Services offered include proven methods like oral appliance therapy. For more information on how treating sleep apnea can help with obesity and weight loss, contact the office online or dial (770) 394-4310.