How Poor Sleep Makes Healthy Eating Harder
Sleep & Your Life
Sleeping is essential for an active lifestyle. It impacts everything you do, from your job to your interactions with others. But many people don’t realize the effects of sleep deprivation and disorders can impact your ability to maintain good habits during the day, like eating healthy.
Discover how sleep disorders make nutritious eating harder in our guide to sleep and nutrition below.
Common Causes of Sleep Deprivation
If you’re suffering from a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, it can make you feel like you’re never fully rested. There are many sleep disorders, but sleep apnea is an increasingly prevalent and distressing one. It causes confusing symptoms that often influence patients to make less health-conscious decisions.
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to wake up due to soft tissue blocking your airway. Often, people who are suffering from sleep apnea don’t know they’re waking up at night, and many of them misattribute their daytime symptoms as a result. Sleep apnea also contributes to weight problems and high blood pressure.
That’s why it’s vital to your health that you know the symptoms of the disorder, which include:
- Daytime exhaustion
- Difficulty falling asleep and waking up
- Frequent dry mouth, headaches, and sore throat in the morning
- Snoring or choking sounds during sleep
- Frequent nighttime urination
The Links Between Healthy Eating and Sleep
Sleep and healthy eating go hand in hand — they’re both functions your body needs to maintain your energy level. Your quality of sleep can depend on what and when you’re eating. Many studies have shown that there’s a connection between your diet and your habitual sleep patterns.
Diets with high amounts of carbohydrates or fat can affect your sleep. However, studies show that people with diets full of fish and vegetables report more restful sleep. Carbohydrates are necessary for daytime functioning, but eating them in excess can lead to weight gain and extra nighttime energy.
Weight gain is a common cause of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. But eating healthy to lose weight while not sleeping well takes a lot of motivation and energy. Chopping and preparing vegetables might not seem appealing when you haven’t had the opportunity to rest. Many people opt to eat out or make simpler, less nutritious meals when they’re suffering from daytime exhaustion.
Dr. Lauck’s Tips For Improving Healthy Eating & Sleep
At North Texas Sleep Solutions, our sleep dentist Dr. Lauck looks for solutions to solve any sleep-related problems. The treatments below are proven to help patients feel better and more motivated to eat nutritiously.
Sleep Studies & Treatment
The first step to better sleep and energy levels is undergoing a polysomnogram, more commonly known as a sleep study, to help you and your dentist understand your symptoms. Your sleep study turns your nighttime habits into raw data that allows you and your sleep specialist to determine whether you’re suffering from a sleep disorder.
Once you’ve received a diagnosis, you’re ready to visit your sleep dentist. There are generally three treatments to help resolve sleep apnea and other related disorders:
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy — CPAP is the most common treatment prescribed when you’ve received a sleep apnea diagnosis. This machine pumps air into your lungs through a hose connected to a mask covering your mouth and nose. As a result, the pressure keeps your airway free from excess soft tissue.
- Oral Appliance Therapy — This subtle solution is smaller and quieter than a CPAP machine. Some patients find that the machine is too loud and the mask too restrictive to find a comfortable way to sleep. Therefore, switching to a custom oral appliance can clear your airway without the bulky machine, hose, and mask.
- Surgery — We usually reserve surgical procedures for only the most severe cases of sleep apnea. Dentists work to expand small airways or remove extra tissue around the airway during this procedure.
These treatments for sleep apnea can improve your sleep, helping you change your personal health decisions during the day. When you have the energy to exercise and make healthier meals, you’ll begin to lose weight. The weight loss reduces your risk of sleep apnea and related symptoms, along with weight-related conditions.
Get Restful Sleep at North Texas Sleep Solutions
Finding the energy to eat healthy meals can be hard when you’re suffering from a debilitating sleep disorder. Sleep apnea and similar conditions are hard to diagnose and can affect your daily personal health decisions. That’s why it’s crucial to find a solution for sleep apnea that boosts your overall health.
At North Texas Sleep Solutions, Dr. Lauck and her team of dental professionals guide our patients toward making the best decisions for their health. We’re here to help you sleep better, building a foundation for healthier choices throughout your day. Contact us today at (817) 431-6764 to learn more about how quality sleep can improve your overall health.