{"id":1419,"date":"2021-05-20T14:03:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T14:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1419"},"modified":"2021-05-26T14:03:40","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T14:03:40","slug":"sleep-apnea-impairs-the-brains-ability-to-connect-emotions-to-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/20\/sleep-apnea-impairs-the-brains-ability-to-connect-emotions-to-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea Impairs the Brain\u2019s Ability to Connect Emotions to Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s been long understood that sleep is needed for our brains to properly function. It helps us store memories, and supports our ability to learn, and maintains our emotional competency. But how exactly does the connection between sleep and our brains, particularly memory storing, association, and the feelings surrounding our memories, work? Could sleep apnea interfere with this? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short answer? Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Diving Deeper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One study<\/a> performed by the University of Michigan sought to answer these questions. The research team\u2019s goal was to learn more about how memories are associated with specific sensory events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to monitor how information is stored, the researchers exposed mice to a visual stimulus and then associated that visual stimulus with a shock on the foot, establishing fear. Then comes the key to this locked door: sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers found that when sleep in the mice was disrupted, they no longer associated the visual stimulus with fear, but when they experienced uninterrupted sleep, they did show fear to the stimulus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This indicates that disrupted sleep may cause the brain to not properly process emotions, leading to individuals not fully associating a memory with an emotional response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep Apnea & Sleep Disruption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the study\u2019s team found, sleep disruption can severely impact our ability to connect emotions to memories. One of the main characteristics of sleep disorders is that they disrupt sleep. Sleep apnea, in particular, can disrupt sleep up to 400 times in a single night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The severity of a person\u2019s sleep apnea is measured by AHI (apnea-hypopnea index). Apneas are the number of times a person stops breathing throughout the night. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, an AHI under 5 is considered normal\u2014anything above is classified as sleep apnea and can fall into a severity that ranges from mild to moderate to severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that the researchers also connected sleep disruption\u2019s negative impact on PTSD and anxiety only further strengthens the already existing findings between sleep apnea and mental distress. Some other indications of this connection include findings like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n