Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sleep apnea and coffee

In a past article I wrote about how caffeine and sleep apnea don’t mix. Coffee and other drinks with caffeine might mask the problem of sleep apnea. But is that really true?


It has been said that coffee can be beneficial lowering diabetes risk and Parkinson’s disease according to an article in WebMd.com. And coffee can surprisingly help with headaches. although I don't know if I believe that!  Remember that there are a lot of pain relievers with an abundance of caffeine in them.

In my own case I don’t necessarily like coffee and the caffeine makes me nervous and shaky. I do get a fix of caffeine in the morning from soda which doesn’t have quite as much of it. I know that are those caffeine laden drinks like red bull that seem to be very popular right now. I tried those once and it sent me through the roof. Of course I have considered eliminating caffeine entirely but with the sleep apnea I really need some kind of boost in the morning.

Does it affect my sleep apnea?

I have read opposing views on this. An article in sciencedaily.com suggests that it masks serious sleep disorders like sleep apnea. I can understand that but it is still difficult to get going in the morning without it. Others say that it doesn’t seem to have any effect on obstructive sleep apnea according to the Mayo Clinic website. The doctor who wrote the article even suggested that it might be helpful.

I’d still be careful about the caffeine even if you do have sleep apnea.

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Thanks

4 comments:

  1. my sleap apnea went away as soon as I stoped drinking coffee. In my case coffee caused me to have anxiety during day and sleep apnea during night. I all when way. I'm free now, after having it for almost 6 years.

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  2. Coffee has that effect on some people. thanks for the comment!

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  3. Central sleep apnea encompasses multiple disorders including narcotic-induced central apnea. Caffeine is a mild-grade amphetamine. It seems to me the explosion of sleep apnea cases incurred over the last thirty years might be related.

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  4. You certainly have a good point there!
    thanks for the comment

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