Patients with sleep apnea stop breathing during their sleep, causing them to wake up.

Dr. John Wallace, Medical Director at South Central Regional Medical Center, explains that sleep apnea can degrade the quality of sleep and adversely affect the heart, blood pressure, and other bodily systems.  “This is just like your alarm clock going off over and over during the night.  Each time it happens, it wakes you up.”

Sleep apnea can lead to increased moodiness, depression, and weight gain.  Sleep apnea can make weight gain worse because patients will eat to try to replenish energy lost because of sleep apnea, which will cause weight gain and increase the sleep apnea, continuing a vicious cycle.

If you think you have sleep apnea, call the South Central Sleep Center at (601) 426-4530 to schedule an appointment, and for more information visit scrmc.com.