SleepDAO

The health hierarchy: SLEEP EXERCISE NUTRITION STRESS CONTROL HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM ADHERENCE Bright mornings & days & dark nights = great sleep, energized focused days & overall robust mental & physical health.

Sleep Apnea Erodes Memory Over Time Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is widely known for its links to cardiovascular and metabolic disease, but growing evidence shows it also contributes to memory decline. A new review highlights consistent findings across human and animal studies that OSA impairs both visual and verbal working memory. The underlying causes include intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, which trigger neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal injury. These biological disruptions lead to altered synaptic plasticity and damage to the blood-brain barrier, compounding cognitive deficits. The severity and duration of OSA are directly correlated with the extent of memory impairment, measurable by indices like the Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI). While CPAP remains the standard treatment, more targeted diagnostics and additional therapies are needed to address OSA’s cognitive consequences.