You might have inherited your red hair and green eyes from dear old dad but his sleep disorder could run in family as well. A study presented at the 4th World Congress on Sleep Medicine showed that the risk of insomnia was 67% higher in patients who had family members  who were also insomniacs.

The study was done using a survey of 3485 people over the course of 12 months. The data showed that 40% of study participants had at least one family member who suffered from insomnia. About three-fourths had one insomniac in the family but some had two (21%) or even three (3%). The respondents risk of insomnia increased according to the number of family members with the disorder. According to researcher Charles M. Morin, “There is very probably a genetic factor behind the family aggregation we observed. However, we don’t know if the mechanism is a physiological process that interferes with sleep or a predisposition to anxiety.” Dr. Morin continued “When we see a member of the family react strongly to an episode of insomnia, we may have the same reaction when faced with the problem ourselves. Our study’s results suggest that early psychological treatment could benefit people from families with chronic insomnia sufferers.”

Patients who suffer from insomnia realize why they feel so tired. Patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea wake each morning feeling unrested and groggy and do not know the reason for their chronic fatigue. If you no longer have the energy you once had, feel exhausted after a full night of sleep or suffer from frequent headaches you may have obstructive sleep apnea.

Please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your screening appointment. Once obstructive sleep apnea has been diagnosed treatment using an oral appliance may be all that is needed to allow you a full night of restful sleep.