Is Your Fatigue More than Lack of Sleep? UAB Experts Discuss Sleep Apnea

By Katherine Kirk | UAB News Sleep is important for overall health. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep improves brain performance and mood and helps maintain physical health, including the heart and circulatory system, metabolism, respiratory system, and immune system. Sleep conditions such as sleep apnea are more common in the United States than one might think. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that three in four adults suffer from sleep disorder symptoms. According to Brian Kinard, DMD, M.D., an associate professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, sleep apnea is diagnosed when an individual stops breathing throughout the night or breathes insufficiently while they are sleeping. The National Council on Aging states that 94 percent of sleep apnea patients experience snoring, making it the most common symptom of sleep apnea. Kinard says many patients will experience excessive daytime fatigue; but often, a patient’s partner will be the first one to notice the warning signs. “The patient’s bed partner is often the biggest indicator of sleep apnea,” Kinard said. “They may notice their partner snoring or temporarily stop breathing in their sleep.” There are two different types of...