This article will explore the connection between sleep apnea and weight gain, addressing whether sleep apnea can lead to weight gain and if losing weight can help mitigate the condition.
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleeping disorders, when it globally affects hundreds of millions of adults and across the United States has an impact on 39 million adults. Some estimates say that 14% of men and 5% of women struggle with obstructive sleep apnea leading to questions like “Does sleep apnea cause weight gain?” or “Can losing weight cure sleep apnea?”
Weight gain can be a potential cause and consequence of sleep apnea. Does losing weight help sleep apnea? Absolutely. While it isn’t a cure, it can significantly reduce symptoms. This article will explore the connection between sleep apnea and weight gain.
Does Sleep Apnea Cause Weight Gain?
Yes, there are several ways that sleep apnea can cause weight gain.
How Sleep Apnea Can Lead to Weight Gain
So how does sleep apnea lead to weight gain? It can have an impact on sleep quality, leading to health problems that contribute to weight gain, reducing energy levels which can have a direct impact on exercise, and of course changing hormone levels.
Health
The first way that sleep apnea can lead to weight gain is by causing an increased risk of other health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
An increased risk of any of these problems can contribute significantly to weight gain. More importantly, these problems also make it less likely that individuals will exercise on a regular basis and more likely that individuals will consume unhealthy foods, which, combined, have a substantial secondary impact on weight gain.
Hormones
The sleep deprivation that comes from sleep apnea causes a direct change in the hormones responsible for regulating appetite and hunger. As a result, individuals with sleep apnea are more likely to feel hungry all day because they don’t have enough leptin, the hormone that causes them to feel full. They’re also more likely to overeat, particularly in the evening, because of too much ghrelin, which causes individuals to feel hungry.
Energy
Sleep apnea causes individuals to have poor-quality sleep, leading to feelings of lethargy and fatigue during the day. This makes it more likely that individuals will turn to caffeinated beverages or other sugar-filled foods to try and help them get energy throughout the day which increases the risk of weight gain.
It is also more likely that low energy will make it difficult to stay physically active, let alone exercise and that decrease in energy and increase in poor food quality leads to more weight gain.
Impact of Weight on Sleep Apnea Severity
Obesity is a risk factor for developing sleep apnea, so the more weight you gain, the more likely you are to develop sleep apnea and, once diagnosed, have increasingly severe symptoms.
Several studies have found that dropping 7 lb can cause a 7% drop in the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. The more weight you gain, the worse your symptoms will be and the worse your secondary health issues will be, but the opposite is true.
The more you work on weight management and weight loss, the more you can improve things like leptin levels, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers, all of which can lead to more severe symptoms.
Can Losing Weight Cure Sleep Apnea?
Studies indicate that losing between 10% and 15% of weight in people who already have obstructive sleep apnea can reduce the severity by up to 50%.
Challenges and Considerations in Weight Management for Sleep Apnea Patients
Can losing weight help sleep apnea symptoms? Yes, but it’s important to understand that this is not a cure. Several people may need additional therapies in addition to weight loss, but it can make a meaningful improvement.
So, how does one go about incorporating weight loss interventions for sleep apnea management?
This can include things like:
- Healthier eating habits
- Regular exercise
- Lifestyle changes
For example, for some people, calorie reduction while maintaining a well-balanced diet can lead to weight loss and this can help reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Can losing weight cure sleep apnea? No, but it has been shown, over the span of at least 6 months, to help individuals safely lose weight and reduce the severity of their sleep apnea symptoms.
For men, this means reducing calories to between 1500 and 1800 per day and for women, between 1200 and 1500 calories per day. It is important to note that at the same time, the calories that are consumed should come from things like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
The time of day that you consume these calories is equally important as foods should be avoided later in the evening, particularly right before bed.
Exercise is another key element to this, with at least 30 minutes per day proving helpful for many people who are utilizing calorie-restricted diets. This increased exercise can go a long way toward improving the amount of sleep that individuals get which can, at the same time, have a direct impact on a sleep apnea diagnosis.
Role of CPAP and Other Treatments in Weight Management
A CPAP machine might be part of your sleep apnea management although studies have found that people who use a CPAP machine can struggle with weight gain.
This is highly personalized and changes from one individual to the next.
- For some people, the CPAP machine helps them get sleep but that sleep isn’t the deep sleep that leaves them feeling rested in the morning so even though they get enough sleep in terms of hours, they are still tired during the day and therefore less physically active and more prone to using sugary snacks or caffeinated beverages.
- For other people, CPAP therapy actually changes the balance between how much energy is used to sleep which means that fewer calories are burned while resting resulting in slight weight gain whereas for others that change is more positive and means more energy is used during the day which can help with weight management.
- For many, the changes in positive airway pressure can actually increase lean body mass, while CPAP therapy can improve certain hormones that stimulate muscle mass.
All of this means that CPAP and other treatments can have a positive or negative effect on individuals based on circumstances, body type, and lifestyle. It’s important to monitor the efficacy of your treatments in terms of energy consumption, weight gain or loss, and other weight management factors.
Summing up
Does sleep apnea cause weight gain? Yes, it does. So, does losing weight help sleep apnea symptoms? Absolutely. Studies have found there’s a strong relationship between sleep apnea and weight gain, and it is important to address both of these factors to improve your overall health outcome.
The more you focus on the right type of treatment and therapy for sleep apnea, the more you’ll be able to focus on things like weight management. The more you focus on weight management, the less severe your symptoms will become.
It is important to consult with healthcare providers to develop a personalized treatment plan that includes weight management and sleep apnea treatment.
