PTSD and Sleep Apnea and their Relationship
What is post-traumatic stress disorder? PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by traumatic events. PTSD is generally accepted as a disorder of people affected by war, but war is not the only trauma that can cause it. Many reasons are causing this illness such as acts of violence, natural disasters, unexpected deaths, etc.
What is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a condition that implies repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep.
Exploring and understanding the connection between post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep apnea is vital for providing healing for those affected by these illnesses. Combining treatment of those two disorders can lead to more successful and efficient outcomes for patients.
Why is this happening? People struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder can usually face anxiety and stress which provokes different sleep problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and many others. This happens because anxiety and stress affect not only mental health but physical health as well. For that reason, it’s crucial to understand the connection between PTSD and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Comprehensive treatment is essential for patients to achieve better outcomes of curing and improve their quality of life.
How Does PTSD Affect Sleep?
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects many parts of the lives of people struggling with it. One such part is sleeping. The disorder disrupts sleep patterns and leads to chronic sleep problems, which can manifest themselves as nightmares, night sweats, and adrenaline rush making falling asleep and staying asleep extremely difficult for people with PTSD. These problems in the end lead to chronic insomnia, which is a common issue for those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. Besides, adrenaline rush and insomnia cause people to constantly be on edge depriving them of the possibility of normal sleep and rest.
What’s even worse is that it leads to a vicious cycle that is hard to break when stress and anxiety cause sleep problems, and in turn, sleep problems cause stress and anxiety. Moreover, these mental and physical health conditions lead to chronic fatigue, depriving people of the possibility to function during the day, work, communicate, and enjoy life.
Recent researches show a strong connection between post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep apnea. Those struggling with PTSD more often have sleep apnea compared to those without PTSD. That’s mostly because of stress and anxiety, which quite often lead to physiological changes in people’s bodies provoking the development of sleep apnea. Besides, interrupted and restless sleep in turn increases stress and anxiety creating a vicious cycle. That’s why the meaning of diagnosing and treating sleep apnea is crucial and without it improving the quality of life for those with PTSD is almost impossible.
Can PTSD Cause Sleep Apnea?
Post-traumatic stress disorder can indeed cause sleep apnea. But why is this happening? A person struggling with PTSD is usually going through a lot of stress, in turn, stress is increasing muscle tension and inflammation, which may contribute to airway obstruction during sleep. Furthermore, interrupted and restless sleep including frequent awakenings can also contribute to the development of sleep apnea. It’s important to explore the roots of PTSD to prevent the possible development of sleep apnea [3].
REM Sleep and Fear
Firstly, we need to figure out what REM sleep is. REM stands for rapid eye movement sleep and is a part of the sleep cycle. This part of the cycle is usually characterized by more dreaming and bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing.Rapid eye movement sleep plays a vital role in processing emotions and consolidating memories. For those with PTSD, this part of the cycle can be problematic because exactly during this stage people are usually going through nightmares and flashbacks.
Furthermore, sleep apnea can disrupt REM sleep, which affects emotional regulation and memory processing, and that, in turn, leads to the worsening of PTSD symptoms.
The disruption of this part of the sleep cycle also leads to an increasing risk of dangerous disorders such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, it’s crucial to treat both PTSD and sleep apnea. Therapeutic and medical interventions restoring healthy sleep may help reduce the detrimental effects of disrupted REM on patients’ mental health.
How to Treat Sleep Apnea and PTSD
Sleep apnea is a health problem that requires a multifaceted approach. What can be recommended to people with sleep apnea? First of all, a quite popular treatment method is CPAP which stands for continuous positive airway pressure therapy and means a condition when air is pumped into the lungs through the nose or nose and mouth in case of spontaneous breathing.
Positive lifestyle changes such as exercising, losing weight, and quitting alcohol, and smoking are equally important for those with sleep apnea.
Psychotherapy for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder usually includes CBT which stands for cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR which stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and medical treatment to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Combining these treatments is vital for achieving better treatment outcomes for those with PTSD.
As post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea usually lead to a vicious circle, it’s really important to treat both health problems at the same time. Why is this efficient? Curing symptoms of PTSD will reduce stress and anxiety, which, in turn, will help with maintaining healthy sleep. Curing symptoms of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea will provide healthy sleep that will have a positive impact on the treatment of PTSD.
Conclusion
Exploring and understanding the connection between PTSD and sleep apnea is important for therapists to provide an efficient treatment plan including both psychological and physiological aspects of these illnesses for their patients to achieve the best outcomes for them. If you or someone you know are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea it’s crucial to seek professional help. Early diagnosis can help you avoid the worst symptoms of the disease and get back to your normal routine faster, improving your quality of life with the help of mental health professionals [1][2][3][4].
URP Behavioral Health offers specialized care and support for individuals dealing with these challenging conditions, emphasizing the importance of integrated treatment approaches for optimal recovery.
