Dealing With Sleep Apnea and Depression 

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects millions of people all around the world, making it one of the most common sleep disorders.  The term sleep apnea is used to describe a condition that involves repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep. In many cases a person suffering from this condition is unaware that there is any problem at all.  In fact, it is often the people around the patient who complain about snoring and choking noises that brings the person to the doctor.  

The Symptoms 

 While there are many symptoms of apnea there are some more common symptoms including but not limited to excessive daytime sleepiness, social problems, emotional problems, and restless sleep. More often than not it is loved ones, such as the person’s partner or roommate, who recognize that there is a problem because of the incredible noise and makes the person finally go to the doctor to help the help they need.  

Other symptoms of sleep apnea include  loud snoring, morning headaches, constant drowsiness, irritability, heartburn, reduced libido, restless sleep, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, confusion upon awakening, and chest retraction during sleep, to name a few. Sleep apnea and depression often go hand in hand and can be a devastating pair to most people. 

Factors 

 As you may already know, there are a lot of conditions that are associated with sleep apnea, depression just happens to be one of the most common. Sleep apnea and depression can be a dangerous combination, especially if the depression is particularly bad and is not self limiting.  

Those who suffer with sleep apnea and similar conditions often get depressed very easily, although once the sleep apnea condition is treated and under control most of the depression symptoms will also resolve themselves. The main reason that people with this condition become so depressed is because they get sleep deprived and their life seems out of their control, which would cause anyone to become depressed.  

If you have sleep apnea and depression you will likely be told that you need to start treating the sleep apnea right away. There are a few different treatments that you can choose to try, and one that has proven to be particularly effective is the CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, which involves being hooked up to a breathing machine. 

When you use this machine you will be wearing a mask during sleep.  This will help to stop the apnea so you can get more rest and slowly life will become enjoyable again.  Some people are also treating with an antidepressant during this time to help ease the symptoms of depression.