{"id":82,"date":"2020-01-16T04:05:59","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T04:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/?p=82"},"modified":"2020-02-11T00:28:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T00:28:03","slug":"dangerous-sleep-apnea-in-columbus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/16\/dangerous-sleep-apnea-in-columbus\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sleeping Pills Help You Rest Better if You Have Sleep Apnea?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-83\" src=\"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sleep_deprived__1525180058_94426-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"woman struggling to stay awake in care\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sleep_deprived__1525180058_94426-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sleep_deprived__1525180058_94426-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sleep_deprived__1525180058_94426.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Over 22 million Americans are currently living with some form of sleep apnea, which leaves them feeling lethargic and less functional throughout the day. If you\u2019ve been diagnosed with the condition, then you\u2019re likely looking for a way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/about-us.html\">rest better<\/a>. Can sleeping pills provide a safe and effective solution? An expert in treating sleep apnea in Columbus provides some key insight to help clear up any confusion.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>The Danger of Ignoring Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n<p>One of the purposes of adequate sleep is to allow your body a chance to repair itself. When this natural process is interrupted by sleep apnea (frequent pauses in breathing throughout the sleep cycle), you\u2019re left unable to perform at your best during the day. In some cases, this can be life-threatening. For example, if you\u2019re operating a vehicle, not being fully alert and possibly drifting to sleep can cause a major accident.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s of the utmost importance to seek help for sleep apnea, some people are attempting to take matters into their own hands by ingesting sleeping pills.<\/p>\n<h2>The Purpose of Sleeping Pills<\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, many people confuse sleeping pills as being viable ways to treat sleep apnea. The reality is that the pills (also referred to as sedative hypnotics) are designed to help people with insomnia rest at night, which is a different issue than what those with sleep apnea are facing.<\/p>\n<h2>Sleep Apnea Explained<\/h2>\n<p>Sleep apnea is far more dangerous than insomnia because it is a sleep breathing disorder, and proper oxygen flow is vital to maintaining every aspect of your health. Therefore, if you\u2019re suffering from sleep apnea, you need targeted treatment from a trained sleep dentist. Otherwise, you could be subject to such life-threatening conditions as hypertension, stroke, heart disease and liver dysfunction.<\/p>\n<h2>How Sleeping Pills Can Make the Situation Worse<\/h2>\n<p>Most over-the-counter sleep medications contain an ingredient called diphenhydramine to help induce sleep. Their relaxation properties can have an adverse effect if you\u2019re suffering from sleep apnea because, along with quieting the mind, they can cause your throat muscles to relax.<\/p>\n<p>This is especially problematic if you have the most common type of sleep breathing disorder: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The condition is the result of the throat muscles becoming flaccid while you sleep and partially blocking the airway.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is that taking a sleeping pill can add to the problem and contribute to your bouts of apnea increasing.<\/p>\n<h2>A Safe Solution<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you don\u2019t have to spend time experimenting with dangerous alternatives. Instead, you should pay your local sleep dentist a visit. The specialist can custom design an oral sleep appliance that will help alleviate any loud snoring and sleep interruptions by keeping your airway open.<\/p>\n<p>So to recover from sleep apnea in a safe and effective manner, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to request a visit. It\u2019s by far the best way to start getting the rest you need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A graduate of The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Dr. Eric Buck is highly experienced in treating sleep apnea. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine affiliate provides patients with custom oral sleep appliances at The Columbus Sleep Center, and he can be reached for more information through his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 22 million Americans are currently living with some form of sleep apnea, which leaves them feeling lethargic and less functional throughout the day. If you\u2019ve been diagnosed with the condition, then you\u2019re likely looking for a way to rest better. Can sleeping pills provide a safe and effective solution? An expert in treating sleep [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.columbussleepcenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}