{"id":1597,"date":"2024-01-11T21:03:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1597"},"modified":"2024-03-14T21:06:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T21:06:02","slug":"sleep-apnea-and-rheumatoid-arthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/11\/sleep-apnea-and-rheumatoid-arthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Link Between Sleep Apnea & Rheumatoid Arthritis?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Did you know that as many as 30% of Americans report that they struggle to fall or stay asleep? This percentage nearly doubles when looking at people who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This autoimmune disease causes widespread inflammation that leads to stiffness, swelling, and joint pain. If you have RA and can never seem to get quality sleep, continue reading. There could be a link between your RA and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)! Continue reading to learn more about how they are related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Do Rheumatoid Arthritis and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Affect Each Other?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When someone has obstructive sleep apnea, their airway becomes partially or completely obstructed during sleep. This interrupts breathing for anywhere between 10 to 20 seconds at a time, depriving them of oxygen and prompting them to wake up. This can happen anywhere from a few times an hour to 60+ times! It isn\u2019t completely certain what the link is between these two conditions, but here are some of the possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n