Overweight vs. Sleeping

No. I've heard that the grossly overweight have trouble sleeping because of the pressure of their own bodies, though.

the less healthy you are and the less exercise you get, the more trouble you will have sleeping

Overweight people are prone to sleep apnea. From the Sleep Apnea Organization:

Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood. First described in 1965, sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. It owes its name to a Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath." There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to breathe continue.

In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses or "apneic events" may be as high as 20 to 60 or more per hour. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea episodes, although not everyone who snores has this condition. Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations. The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and may be associated with an early morning headache.

Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.


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Overweight people are prone to sleep apnea when their own fat constricts their airways.

More from the Sleep Apnea Organization:

disturbances in their normal sleep patterns, people with sleep apnea often feel very sleepy during the day and their concentration and daytime performance suffer. The consequences of sleep apnea range from annoying to life-threatening. They include symptoms suggesting depres-sion, irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving. Untreated sleep apnea patients are 3 times (or more) likely to have automobile accidents; CPAP treatment reverses the increased risk. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have high blood pressure. It has recently been shown that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure. Risk for heart attack and stroke may also increase in those with sleep apnea


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I have been using a CPap machine for over a year, and it really makes a difference in how I feel in the morning.

Overweight is not the only reason for a person to have sleep apnea, although it is a contributing factor. My brother, who is not particularly overweight, has just been diagnosed with the condition. He was telling me that often he was so sleepy during the day, that he would occasionally fall asleep while he was eating. He feels 100% better, now that he is on the CPap machine.

We didn't know it then, but apparently my father had the disorder. I am wondering whether there is any genetic component, but I haven't seen any studies on that.

There are doctors who specialize in sleep apnea. Usually they are neurologists or pulmonologists. In a sleep center, the patient is attached to an EKG, EEG oxygen monitor, and various and sundry other equipment. A technician monitors the patient. The first sleep study determines whether the person indeed has sleep apnea.

In the second study, which is given if sleep apnea is indicated by the first study, the patient is hooked up to the same gizmos, as well as to a CPap machine. The technicians vary the strength of the air that is being delivered by the machine. In that way, they can determine which setting provides the best results.

In my study, I was given a very mild sleeping pill, so I was able to sleep during the test. And yes, if you get up in the middle of the night there IS a way that they can unhook you so you can go to the bathroom!

Re: Overweight vs. Sleeping


Have you heard the rumor that this person who is claiming to be "MrGadget" is an imposter.

Now he/she is Probably trying to start trouble with overweight people using MY name.

This person who is posting at Able2know.com as MrGadget is NOT the same person who posted at BSOM as MrGadget. Do not be fooled.

Look at my profile settings at the bottom of this post. Then look at his/hers. All my names have been registered for 5 or more years.

YES! ALRIGHT! WE GET THE PICTURE!!

<Gadgets, hmph!>

Apparently there have been a number of studies which indicated that there may be a familial predisposition towards sleep apnea:

http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=107650