Daytime effects of sleep disordered breathing and apnea from your Dana Point dentist

An important issue in sleep medicine, and in general, is that the sleep physician focuses on the nocturnal component (what happens at night) of this disease entity. We know, with strong evidence, that what happens at night actually affects the patient’s diurnal (what happens during the day) function. The sleep physician most often does not focus on the problems that occur during the day, and that is often what the patient is really suffering most from. This is not just sleepiness. There are other serious physiologic effects, which are oftentimes unrecognized.

The daytime effects of sleep-disordered breathing are many. There are what we call polysomic sleep disorders, which have to do with depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and anxiety. There are a number of what are called a functional or polysomatic disorders that occur as a result of a disruption in the autonomic nervous system.

The nervous system has two sides to it, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic (fight or flight). The balancing path of the autonomic nervous system allows us to breathe, and our hearts to beat, without us thinking about it, because those things happen autonomically.

During sleep, there can be a decrease in the amount of oxygen that is released to the brain and the organs as a result of diminished airflow. This can occur due to an obstruction (obstructive sleep apnea) or because the brain is not communicating to the diaphragm (central sleep apnea). It sets up this physiological stress that doesn’t end at night. It actually gets carried into the daytime.

Dr. Mark A Cruz, of Dana Point, CA will work with your other healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive, effective solutions. Sleep disordered breathing is an interdisciplinary issue. It is not something that should be tackled by just the sleep physician, dentist, pulmonologist, or the cardiologist. He believes that various professionals need to work in the patient’s interest in an interdisciplinary integrated fashion. The problem with our health care system in the Unites States is that it is more of a disease management system than a wellness system. Fortunately, some steps are being taken in that direction, and integrated health care is a crucial part of that transition.

If you have concerns about sleep disordered breathing, call (949) 661-1006 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Cruz today.