Getting a good night’s sleep is important for overall health. However, for people suffering from obesity, falling or staying asleep can be a struggle. To make it worse, conditions associated with obesity, such as sleep apnea, can make it harder to achieve a good quality sleep.
How being overweight disrupts your sleep
Excess weight creates fat deposits in a person’s neck (this is also known as pharyngeal fat). These fat deposits in the neck can block the upper airway during sleep when it’s normally relaxed. This causes air to be squeezed through a restricted path, causing one to snore.
On top of that, an increase in abdominal girth from having excess fat can compress the chest wall, reducing the lung’s volume. This increases the upper airway to collapse during sleep.
Not getting enough sleep only compounds the weight gain problem. Sleep deprivation can cause hormonal issues that can impact a person’s metabolism and weight regulation. Sleep-deprived people are also more prone to making poor food choices and exercising less.
How weight loss surgery can improve your sleep
Losing even just ten percent of your excess body weight can dramatically improve your sleep. When you get a good night’s sleep, you’re more likely to make better food choices and have more energy to fit in a workout.
Losing weight, which could also translate to losing inches around your midsection, can relieve the pressure on your respiratory area. This, consequently, can improve your existing sleep apnea.
If obesity is affecting your sleep, energy levels, and overall quality of life, we can help.
Your first step towards a healthier you is attending a free informational seminar with Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons. All of our patients are required to attend. This seminar provides you with in-depth information about bariatric surgery so you can make a more informed decision.
For more questions, please contact our team at (865) 984-3413.
Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons is part of Premier Surgical Bariatrics in Knoxville, Tennessee. Foothills is affiliated with the Fort Sanders Center for Bariatric Surgery, a member of Covenant Health Bariatric Services.