Sleep disorders can make you feel tired upon waking even if you allowed yourself a full eight hours of sleep. Two of the most common sleep disorders are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring.
How does OSA or loud snoring make you feel tired in the morning?
OSA causes frequent pauses in breathing, called apnea, which rouses your body briefly to restore breathing. Your tongue or the tissues at the rear of your mouth block airways causing you to gasp briefly for air and can cause you to snore loudly.
These disturbances can happen multiple times each night without you being aware it is happening until you are so tired you literally beg for a nap or you cannot function at work. Loud snoring not only disturbs your sleep, but the rest of others in the household.
Are sleep disorders genetic?
Those unique features that remind you of your great-grandmother may be the cause of your sleep disorder. Studies suggest obstructive sleep apnea may possibly be hereditary due to inherited features such as:
- a thick neck
- small facial structure
- the basic structure of your skull
- what part of your body retains fat.
The genetic factor that gave you that thick or thin neck may also have given you a narrowed airway, which can contribute to symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
Excessive tissue located at the back of your mouth may contribute or be the cause of your snoring or sleep disorder, suggesting a genetic relation if other members of your family have been diagnosed with the same excessive tissue problem.
Do you have a sleep disorder?
Find your answer by scheduling an appointment with a sleep disorder dentist. A consultation with a sleep specialist is important to determine what type of sleep disorder you suffer from.
If you would like a quick, easy check, take my sleep disorder questionnaire. I’ll reply with a free, no-obligations diagnostic recommendation that could help you find your way back to restful, healthy sleep.