There are so many things that can sabotage the quality of your sleep, it's tough to keep track: the food and drinks you consume, the time of day you exercise, the amount you work in your bedroom, your TV and computer habits before bed, the temperature of your room, allergens and dust, and so on. Throw in some stress, anxiety, and your desire to "do it all," and getting a good night's sleep can be quite the challenge for a woman.
But none of those factors are necessarily why some women wake up constantly throughout the night and then spend their days severely exhausted. The culprit could be sleep apnea, a disorder in which you stop breathing multiple times throughout the night -- and your body in turn panics and wakes you up. (But, like, 50 times a night.) It's a health problem that goes undiagnosed 90 percent (!) of the time.
"It can be hard to admit you might have sleep apnea, but it can be a serious problem," says Olivia Ward, recent FITNESS cover girl, winner of The Biggest Loser Season 11, and former sleep apnea sufferer. "I used to toss and turn all night, and yet I still thought I slept fine."
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Sleep apnea is much more common in overweight women -- their airways get blocked because of the excess fat -- but it can occur in healthy-sized women too. However, that relationship between poor sleep and poor weight management is a vicious one.
"You depend on three hormones produced by good sleep: cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin," says Dimi Barot, MD, a board-certified sleep disorders specialist in Norfolk, Virginia. "Without those hormones, your appetite isn't suppressed, you start craving starchy carbs, your metabolism plummets, and your body just doesn't work properly. Some people are told to lose weight to improve their sleep, but the same goes for the other way around."
Because it can be extremely difficult to lose weight when you're sleep deprived, Biggest Loser contestants get screened by Nationwide Medical for sleep apnea, and then begin nightly use of a Philips Respironics machine for continuous positive airway pressure -- better known as a CPAP. Olivia nicknamed hers "Pappy."
"At first I was skeptical about it, but then Pappy became my boyfriend real fast -- if he was helping me on the scale, he was staying in my bed!" says Ward. "I was so much more energized in the morning."
Related: 7 Shocking Facts About Sleep
Sneaky Symptoms
While Biggest Loser contestants may be obvious candidates for sleep apnea testing and CPAP treatment, women in general often go undiagnosed. That's because snoring -- the number-one sign someone may have sleep apnea -- isn't as prevalent in women.
"Women don't have the same muscular palette structures as men," Dr. Barot says. "They aren't necessarily snoring loudly and waking up gasping, the way men with sleep apnea do. Instead, a woman with sleep apnea has to connect the dots between everyday problems like depression and mood changes with poor sleeping. But it's unlikely they will, when they have a host of other personal issues that could be the culprit."
Related: 8-Minute Workout: Yoga for Better Sleep
Even though connecting those dots can be dicey for a woman, Dr. Barot revealed some of the physical symptoms to watch for:
- having a headache when you wake up
- waking up coughing or gagging
- heart palpitations or your heart racing upon waking
- "insomnia" in which you are falling asleep and waking right back up
- waking up with dry mouth or congestion
The sleep disorder doesn't just hurt your chances of losing weight. There can be serious, chronic health consequences, including hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, and more. In August 2011, sleep apnea was even linked to dementia in women.
Related: Sleeping Beauty: Sleep Your Way to Better Skin and Hair
The good news is that it's becoming easier than ever to get tested for sleep apnea. Going to a sleep lab is still an option, but a rapidly growing solution is to use an at-home device provided by your doctor. Shows like Dr. Oz have recently featured the popular Watermark Apnea Risk Evaluation System (ARES), a small headband-like device that you later bring back to your doctor for your sleep study results. Doctors and insurance companies have both embraced this kind of approachable and affordable testing, since it could mean far fewer serious health problems later in life.
Related: How Lack of Sleep Can Lead to Diabetes
If you get tested and it turns out you do have sleep apnea? Well, you may just need your own Pappy.
"The challenge for most women who receive a recommendation to use a CPAP is getting passed their vanity issues," Dody Jordahl, a director at Nationwide Medical says. "But the reality is that once you adjust the settings and lie down to sleep, you really will sleep."
Not only will you probably sleep well and be at your best the next day, but you'll be at a lower risk for all those heart and health problems.
"I now know the value of a good night's sleep," Olivia says. "It's not just a luxury, but a necessity. Your heart and the scale will thank you."
More from FITNESS Magazine:
Easy Ways to Find Happiness Fast
Lose Weight Now: The New Mom Diet
6 Ways to Boost Your Body and Brain
10 Tidbits of Weight Loss Wisdom from The Biggest Loser
Alison Sweeney's At-Home Couch Workout
