I don't want to bother you with the fact that sleep apnea stroke, high blood pressure and heart attacks are risk factors when you have an untreated sleep apnea. I said it several times in this sleep apnea guide.
But what is the stroke and why is it associated with sleep apnea ?
Stroke is a sudden loss of consciousness and voluntary movement caused by a disruption of blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
Every sleep gives your heart a rest, where your heart rate and blood pressure slows down as you enter in deep sleep. But if you don't get enough sleep, this slow beatings of your heart may not occur.
In this way you are more likely to experience strokes and heart attacks.
You see how important is to get enough sleep? When you have a bad sleep, your body will release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, who may increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.
When I speak about sleep apnea and stroke, I am not referring only to lack of sleep. Snoring is another problem in sleep apnea that also increases the risk of developing stroke and heart failure.
Sleep apnea stroke occur frequently in the morning, between 6.00 - 7.00 AM, in the process of awakening.
The therapy for stroke with sleep apnea is
CPAP
, which reduces daytime drowsiness and improves you night sleep.
You should take a sleep test and a physical examination, if you had an unrefreshing sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and stroke. Intermittent snoring with loud snorts, breath holding and body movements are features that can't be observed by yourself.
