How Sleep Apnea Affects Your ADHD
Even if you take medication for your ADHD, your symptoms can be hard enough to manage on their own. You certainly don’t need disorders like sleep apnea to complicate things further!
Unfortunately, sleep-disordered breathing affects about one-third of patients with ADHD and isn’t exactly a rare combination. Don’t worry though – there is a silver lining. Your sleep dentist in Prescott Valley can help!
Understanding Sleep Apnea
In short, most sleep apnea cases occur when overrelaxed oral tissue or jaw misalignment blocks the airway, making it more difficult for the body to receive oxygen at night. Low oxygen levels trigger a “panic response” in the brain that wakes you up completely or pulls you out of the deeper sleep cycles, like REM.
ADHD and Your Brain
It’s hard to say whether the chicken came before the egg or the other way around, but experts do know that those with ADHD often have trouble regulating dopamine and other chemicals in the brain. While dopamine is largely associated with creating happy feelings, it’s also important for focus, among other things.
How Poor Sleep Quality Worsens ADHD Symptoms
It’s important to get one thing straight: sleep apnea doesn’t necessarily cause ADHD. After all, in order to be diagnosed with ADHD in the first place, your symptoms have to be long-term and not explained by other medical conditions. But sleep apnea can definitely worsen your symptoms by disrupting your rest.
Trouble focusing, impulsivity, and irritability are common effects of both sleep deprivation and ADHD brain chemistry. Adding to the problem is the fact that your body typically uses sleep as an opportunity to regulate hormones and other biological chemicals. When sleep apnea interrupts this process, your already irregular dopamine levels can become even more unbalanced.
Treating Sleep Apnea Can Help You Manage Your ADHD
Hitting that “dopamine sweet spot” can really feel like a feat of black magic sometimes! Going one day without getting enough carbs, protein, or sleep can throw your whole brain off and make it that much more challenging to relax and focus. Fortunately, treating sleep apnea can help you have fewer “imbalanced” days, making it easier to manage your ADHD.
A qualified sleep dentist can use a custom oral sleep appliance (which you’ll wear at night to help open up your airway) alone or in combination with CPAP, weighted blankets, and other home remedies to address your unique sleep needs. Once your body and mind are finally able to get a full night’s rest, you’ll start feeling more like yourself!
About the Author
Dr. Jonathan Held knows from personal experience just how harmful sleep apnea can be for your overall wellness. As the only Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine in Northern Arizona, he’s well-qualified to help patients in Sedona, Flagstaff, and other nearby areas treat their sleep apnea once and for all! If you’re tired of being, well, tired, visit Dr. Held’s website to find a sleep center near you and request an appointment.