{"id":111,"date":"2023-10-27T18:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepeugene.com\/blog\/?p=111"},"modified":"2023-11-27T18:27:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T18:27:49","slug":"does-sleep-apnea-make-you-age-faster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepeugene.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/27\/does-sleep-apnea-make-you-age-faster\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Sleep Apnea Make You Age Faster?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In an attempt to stay youthful, many people exercise regularly, have a good skincare routine, and eat a nutrient-rich diet. All of those things are important, but unfortunately, some individuals forget about the importance of high-quality sleep. Indeed, research indicates that consistently failing to get an adequate amount of high-quality sleep can lead to epigenetic age acceleration. How does sleep apnea<\/a> make you age faster? This blog post strives to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sleep Apnea and Epigenetic Age Acceleration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a few different ways to describe your age. Your chronological age <\/strong>is a straightforward measurement of the number of years that have passed since you were born. Your biological age <\/strong>is different. It is a measurement of how your body should be functioning in relation to your chronological age. When a person\u2019s biological age exceeds their chronological age, this is known as epigenetic age acceleration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Epigenetic age acceleration can be caused by a number of different factors, such as smoking, a poor diet, and pollution. Sleep disordered breathing, such as what occurs during sleep apnea, can also contribute to an increase in biological age. A 2019 study<\/a> found that the more severe a person\u2019s sleep disordered breathing is, the greater the age acceleration they experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can You Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that, unlike chronological age, biological age can be reversed. In fact, in 2022, after conducting some research on the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on biological age<\/a>, one researcher said, \u201cOur results suggest that biological age acceleration is at least partially reversible when effective treatment of OSA is implemented.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treatment for sleep apnea may include the use of a CPAP machine or a custom oral appliance from a sleep dentist. Both approaches aim to keep the airway open so patients are able to breathe easily throughout the night. Of course, strict and consistent compliance with treatment is important for the results to be truly effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other steps you can take that might improve the quality of your sleep include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n