August 2, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Fighting Fatigue with Better Sleep

By Maija Sanna, MD

Special to Westside Today

Dr. Maija Sanna is a board-certified geriatrician with the highly regarded UCLA Geriatrics Program in Santa Monica and Westwood.
Dr. Maija Sanna is a board-certified geriatrician with the highly regarded UCLA Geriatrics Program in Santa Monica and Westwood.

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear from my patients. “Now that I’m retired, I should have the energy to do more things, but I tire easily and need to take naps during the day,” says one patient, echoing the sentiments of others. Many of my patients wonder if fatigue is a normal part of aging or a symptom of a more sinister problem.

The fact is, fatigue can occur for many reasons. Getting to the root cause of your fatigue involves discussing your symptoms and daily activities with your doctor. He or she will decide what tests you need to rule out common medical causes, including anemia, thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Sometimes the cause can be found easily with routine blood work, while in other cases more specialized tests are needed.

One common cause for fatigue that cannot be found via blood work is sleep apnea, which comes in three types:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – caused by throat muscles relaxing, leading to an airway blockage during sleep;

Central sleep apnea – occurs when the brain fails to send the signal to breathe during sleep; and

Complex sleep apnea – a combination of the above types.

All three can lead to a poor night’s sleep, leaving you feeling fatigued the next day, but OSA is the most common culprit.

In addition to fatigue, other OSA symptoms include loud snoring, headaches, difficulty concentrating, waking with shortness of breath or chest pain and mood changes. Often, your sleep partner may be the only one to hear the snoring or notice the brief periods when you stop breathing. They might describe this as snoring followed by pauses, and then gasping or choking sounds.

Frequently, people with obstructive sleep apnea are not even aware of these episodes. When they stop breathing, oxygen levels in their blood drop and trigger their brain to wake up enough to open up the airway and begin breathing normally. This process can happen repeatedly throughout the night and interfere with the ability to reach deep sleep. Most sufferers are unaware of these awakenings and will report having a full-night’s sleep, yet complain of feeling unrefreshed and fatigued throughout the day.

Risk factors for sleep apnea include:

being overweight; increasing age; a large neck or narrow airway; chronic nasal congestion; family history of sleep apnea; smoking or alcohol use; high blood pressure; and diabetes.

Sleep apnea is more common in men than in women, but some people have it with none of these risk factors.

To diagnose sleep apnea, you need to undergo a sleep study. For that, you’ll sleep in a specialized center where your heart, lung, brain and muscle activity are monitored, as well as your oxygen level. If you meet criteria for sleep apnea after the first half of the night, they will have you wear a special mask, known as a “CPAP” for continuous positive airway pressure, while sleeping to help keep open your airway. These masks are the most common treatment for sleep apnea.

Other treatment options include using dental devices or, less frequently, surgery. Those diagnosed with sleep apnea are usually referred to sleep specialists who can help choose the best treatment option. While the mask may sound cumbersome, there are many different types of CPAP masks that can be tailored to ensure comfortable sleep.

While these treatment options are not perfect and many people get annoyed with wearing a mask or device every night, the importance of treating sleep apnea cannot be overstated.

Untreated sleep apnea can contribute to the following complications:

High blood pressure; Abnormal heart rhythms; Heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Stroke; Chronic headaches; Depression or irritability; Memory problems; Accidents from falling asleep at the wheel.

Lifestyle modifications also can help with sleep apnea. If you are overweight, losing pounds is a good start. Regular exercise is important, and if you smoke, quitting can reduce apnea episodes. Reducing alcohol intake also can help, especially avoiding alcohol for several hours before bedtime. Avoid using sedative medications. Treat any nasal congestion. Sleep on your side, as OSA can be worse when lying on your back.

For those suffering from fatigue, I encourage you to note any symptoms you experience and ask your sleep partner if he/she has noticed any snoring or pauses in your breathing during sleep. Bring your concerns and questions to your primary care doctor, who will initiate the medical workup and determine if you have risk factors or symptoms consistent with sleep apnea.

If your sleep partner is complaining about your snoring or sleeping in another room to get more rest, it’s time to get a full sleep evaluation – and more restful zzzzs!

Dr. Maija Sanna is a board-certified geriatrician with the highly regarded UCLA Geriatrics Program in Santa Monica and Westwood.  For more information, visit www.uclahealth.org or call 310. 319.4371.

Tags: , , in News
Related Posts

City Installs Crosswalks In Sawtelle District After Residents Paint Their Own

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Los Angeles Begins Official Safety Upgrades Near Stoner Park City crews began installing official crosswalks Friday near Stoner Park in...

HARD Summer Returns This Weekend With New Sound Strategy After 2024 Noise Complaints

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Sold-Out EDM and Hip-Hop Festival Runs Saturday and Sunday at Hollywood Park The HARD Summer music festival is set to...

Free Document Shredding, Electronics Recycling Set for Saturday in Culver City

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Culver City Offers Secure Way to Recycle Tech and Shred Paper This Weekend Residents will have the opportunity to responsibly...

Last Call: Culver City Wants Your Input in Hiring Its Next City Manager

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Public Survey Open Through August 1 Invites Residents to Weigh In As Culver City begins its search for a new...

1,000 Additional National Guard Troops Withdrawn From LA as Federal Presence Continues to Shrink

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

National Guard Presence in Los Angeles Slashed Again Amid Ongoing Rollback Roughly an additional 1,000 National Guard troops have been...

Luxury Watches Stolen From Keanu Reeves Recovered in Chile, To Be Returned to Actor

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Six Rolex Watches Worth Over $120,000 Were Seized in Santiago Police Raid Six high-end watches stolen from actor Keanu Reeves’...

Aging Mindfully: Zen-Inspired Senior Living Takes Shape in Simi Valley

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Two Zen-inspired senior living communities are embracing the reality of aging — consciously. Ensō Village, open since 2023 in Sonoma County,...

Trio of Suspects Busted in $50K Beauty Heist at Culver City Store

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Burglars Try to Flee, But Culver City PD Catches All ThreePolice arrested three suspects late Sunday night following a break-in...

Lulu Hosts Summer Tardeada With Guest Chef From Oakland’s Bombera

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros Joins Alice Waters for a Courtyard Celebration Lulu, the acclaimed restaurant located at the Hammer Museum, will...

Film Review: Together

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Dave Franco and Alison Brie, a married couple in real life, star in Michael Shanks’ gruesomely passionate...

Heidi Klum’s Tropical Erewhon Smoothie Drops Just in Time for Summer

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Supermodel’s Limited-Edition Drink Blends Kiwi, Coconut, and Matcha Erewhon has debuted its newest celebrity smoothie collaboration, this time with supermodel...

‘Challahboration’ Hits Culver City with Sausage-Stuffed Treats and French Cruller Flair

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Nyletta, Nyletta and Challah Dad Serve Summer Sizzle in Culver City A limited-run culinary collaboration is coming to Hi-Lo Liquor...

UCLA Agrees to $6.1 Million Settlement Over Alleged Discrimination During Campus Protests

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Faculty Group Argued Protest Wasn’t Antisemitic; Judge Approval Still Pending UCLA will pay more than $6 million to settle a...

Tsunami Advisory Issued for Los Angeles Coast After 8.7 Quake Near Russia

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Strong Currents, Surges Expected; Residents Urged to Avoid Beaches and Harbors Update from NWS Los Angeles at 6:50 a.m. “Latest...

Brazen Wheel Thieves Hit Beverly Grove, Hollywood Neighborhoods

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Early-Morning Thefts Leave Cars on Blocks; Residents Coordinate  Los Angeles police are investigating a growing number of wheel thefts reported...