Fatigue Specialist

What is fatigue?

Everyone has days when they’re tired, maybe because they were up with a sick child or their brain wouldn’t shut down due to stress. This is a type of temporary fatigue that goes away when the problem is solved, and you finally get a good night of sleep.

Then there’s ongoing fatigue that does not resolve with proper rest, causing long-term weariness that limits your energy and leaves you feeling unmotivated.

Persistent fatigue causes symptoms such as:

• Inability to concentrate
• Loss of memory
• Trouble waking in the morning
• Needing frequent naps
• Dozing at inappropriate times
• Feeling irritable or anxious
• Changes in appetite

What is the association between fatigue and sleep disorders?

Daytime fatigue is a primary symptom of sleep disorders. You’d expect a sleep disorder to make you feel tired, but you may not anticipate the utter fatigue that occurs when your sleep cycle is disturbed.

In adults, sleep cycles through several stages: rapid eye movement (REM) and four stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM).

The only way to get a restorative sleep is to sleep through all the stages without interruption. When a sleep disorder wakes you and disrupts your regular sleep cycle, you can’t store memories, and you become fatigued and moody.

Will you know fatigue is due to a sleep disorder?

Sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome cause symptoms that make you aware of a problem. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, however, there’s a good chance you won’t know your sleep is disrupted.

When you have sleep apnea, you temporarily stop breathing while you sleep, sometimes up to 100 times an hour in severe cases. The resulting drop in oxygen shocks your brain, which wakes you up but not to full consciousness.

You wake up slightly — just enough to take a breath, but not enough to know you did it. Many patients go for years without connecting their daytime fatigue to a sleep disorder.

What complications develop from fatigue caused by sleep disorders?

In addition to affecting your energy, fatigue takes a significant toll on productivity, limiting your ability to fulfill daily responsibilities. Even worse, fatigue due to a sleep disorder is often responsible for traffic and workplace accidents.

Chronic fatigue affects your overall health and increases your risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

If you suffer from fatigue, it’s time to get a thorough assessment for a sleep disorder — call Golden Gate Sleep Centers or book an appointment online.