{"id":359,"date":"2022-12-15T07:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T07:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/?p=359"},"modified":"2022-12-29T07:43:07","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T07:43:07","slug":"alcohol-and-sleep-apnea-in-stephens-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/15\/alcohol-and-sleep-apnea-in-stephens-city\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep Apnea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_163417135__1672296935_53026.jpg\" alt=\"A man suffering from sleep apnea in Stephens City\" class=\"wp-image-360\" width=\"287\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_163417135__1672296935_53026.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_163417135__1672296935_53026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_163417135__1672296935_53026-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many other people, you might have a drink or two before bed. That\u2019s understandable \u2014 many people use nightcaps as a sleep aid. In truth, this nightly habit could do you more harm than good. You see, alcoholic items cause and worsen sleep apnea in Stephens City. Your bedtime beer can severely harm your health if you\u2019re not careful. As proof of these claims, your local dentist is here with evidence. Read on to learn why alcohol and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/sleep-apnea-treatment.html\">sleep apnea<\/a> don\u2019t mix, including how to snooze better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alcohol Worsens Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Research shows an association between alcohol and sleep apnea. In fact, heavy drinking can cause episodes of the latter in those who don\u2019t have the condition. Those with alcohol disorders are at even greater risk, being highly likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem stems from how nighttime drinks affect your breathing. Because alcohol reduces your drive to breathe, it makes breathing slow and shallow. Consequently, it can contribute to snoring and complete airway obstruction. Alcohol also worsens OSA by increasing the time between when you stop breathing and \u201cwake up\u201d to breathe again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you assume such effects aren\u2019t a big deal, think again. Severe OSA symptoms lower your blood\u2019s oxygen levels, often leading to excess carbon dioxide in your body. Should that happen, you could develop hypercapnia, a condition that can be fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Better Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, it\u2019s best to just abstain from alcohol if you have sleep apnea in Stephens City. However, there are ways to keep your nightly drink without ruining your rest. Consider the tips below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Follow the Three-Hour Rule: <\/strong>If you have an evening drink, wrap it up at least three hours before bed.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t Go Overboard: <\/strong>You should also manage your drink intake along with the timing. In other words, stick to having only one or two glasses daily.<\/li><li><strong>Hit the Sack Early: <\/strong>Staying up past your usual bedtime increases alcohol\u2019s sleep-depriving effects.<\/li><li><strong>Hydrate: <\/strong>For every glass of alcohol you have, make sure to drink one glass of water. It wouldn\u2019t hurt to have a few extra glasses of water the following day, too.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, beer or wine before bed isn\u2019t (always) as harmless as you\u2019d think. Therefore, stay on the safe side and practice the tips above \u2014 you\u2019ll sleep better that way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/meet-the-dentist.html\"><em>Dr. Thomas A. Gromling<\/em><\/a><em> is a dentist based in Stephens City, VA, having earned his DDS from Virginia Commonwealth University. He\u2019s also a member of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Given this background, his specialties are comprehensive dentistry and sleep apnea therapy. Dr. Gromling can treat dental emergencies as well. Currently, he practices at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/\"><em>his self-titled clinic<\/em><\/a><em> and can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/contact-us.html\"><em>his website<\/em><\/a><em> or by phone at <strong>(540)-869-4377.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like many other people, you might have a drink or two before bed. That\u2019s understandable \u2014 many people use nightcaps as a sleep aid. In truth, this nightly habit could do you more harm than good. You see, alcoholic items cause and worsen sleep apnea in Stephens City. Your bedtime beer can severely harm your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Alcohol &amp; Sleep Apnea | Stephens City Dentist | Dr. Thomas A. Gromling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you want to control your sleep apnea in Stephens City? 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