It’s called "weight cycling," and simply defined it means the loss and gain of weight over a lifetime. While anyone can weight cycle it is particularly common in women, as hormonal shifts can often aid in this pesky problem. As if gaining a few pounds wasn’t frustrating enough, a new study has identified yet another danger to weight cycling: sleep apnea.Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is becoming more and more common in people of all ages and genders. It is defined as a disorder that causes the affected person to stop and restart breathing as they sleep, causing them to snore and gasp for air, wake repeatedly, and feel lethargic and depressed during the day. It can also contribute to other conditions like stroke, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and some cancers.Unfortunately, while it has been long linked to obesity, sleep apnea has now been linked to weight cycling (not including during pregnancy) in women, too, along with insomnia, poor quality of sleep, poor duration of sleep, and more.While it is common to experience weight cycling, maintaining a healthy weight could be key to reducing your risk of sleep apnea. This means eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and alerting your doctor to your weight history to assess your sleep apnea risk. If you struggle with your weight, speak with your physician about a healthy diet and exercise plan, and if you struggle to sleep or believe you could be suffering from sleep apnea, speak to your physician about scheduling a sleep study.The good news is that there is a solution to sleep apnea. Mandibular sleep orthotic devices can be custom-crafted to fit your individual mouth and act as a comfortable way to prop open your airway as you sleep. This, in combination with maintaining a healthy weight, can help alleviate or eliminate sleep apnea symptoms.If you are interested in learning more about sleep apnea or are interested in having Dr. Peterson create a mandibular sleep orthotic for you, please do not hesitate to contact the office to schedule a consultation today.