People with obstructive sleep apnea are far more likely to in their sleep from heart related problems than the rest of the population according to researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It was found that the sleep pattern of the people with OSP is actually opposite to the general population who are more likely to die from a heart attack during the day.In a study, it was found that the likelihood of dying of a cardiac arrest overnight is directly correlated to the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Nighttime is assumed to be a period of reduced risk of death due to heart attacks because sleep minimizes the stress and fatigue that can trigger a heart attack and other related ailments.
Sleep apnea causes the sufferers to stop breathing for brief periods repetitively through the night thus causing the oxygen levels to drop and a rise in the carbon dioxide levels putting strain on the heart.These interruptions in the normal breathing cycle cause the person to wake up frequently gasping for air, as many as hundreds of time in the night.
However, most of the sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed it is important to talk to your doctor if any serious change is noticed in the sleeping pattern. While there is no perfect medicine for sleep apnea a little modification in the lifestyle can do wonders to your sleep as well as your health.Sleep is a necessity and you now have one more good reason to take that required amount of sleep.
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