Sleep Apnea doesn’t just negatively impact your health. It can have some surprising impacts on your relationships as well.
Sleep Apnea can have an enormous emotional impact, both on the sufferer and the person he or she shares a bed with.
First of all, the poor sleep quality that comes with sleep apnea may be shared with the other person in the bed. If you’re snoring or waking up frequently in the night, chances are that your partner’s sleep is being disrupted as well.
This is, of course, frustrating in the moment for both of you. It can even build resentment on both sides. Your partner will of course feel annoyed, resentful and frustrated by the constant disruptions, and you may feel the same way about the lack of understanding… after all, you’re not doing it on purpose!
But the lack of sleep carries over to the rest of your life too. During your waking hours, the lack of sleep you’ve been experiencing can make you feel lethargic, grumpy, irritable and even depressed.
This is bound to have a negative impact on your relationships. Certainly with your partner (and especially if he or she is suffering from lack of sleep as well), but also your other family members, friends and even your co-workers.
Sleep is critical for good physical and emotional health.
If you are suffering from sleep apnea, or think you might be, it’s crucial that you find a way to manage it. While you can't help the fact that you have sleep apnea, you can take responsibility for improving your health and your relationships by seeking out help.
There are a great many options for treating sleep apnea, from weight loss and lifestyle changes to oral sleep appliance or even surgery.