Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea May Cause You To Lose Sleep
Persons suffering from sleep apnea usually do not know they are suffering from it until they undergo testing a proper diagnosis has been given. Their sleep partner will usually have a better idea of their problem as one of the symptoms of sleep apnea is unusually load snoring. Between the snoring and excessive sleepiness during the day, many think they are being kept awake by their own snoring, but in reality they are waking up, possibly hundreds of times during then night, without knowing it.
When a person suffers from sleep apnea, it causes natural breathing to cease. Whether it is caused by a problem with the central nervous system that shits off the involuntary breathing mechanism or from an obstruction in the throat, the symptoms of sleep apnea are similar, with snoring the primary symptom with obstructive sleep apnea. Waking up choking and gasping for air is another one of the main symptoms of sleep apnea.
A person suffering from sleep apnea will also have frequent periods during their sleep in which all breathing stops. The sleep partner is in a better position to observe this problem and is one of the symptoms of sleep apnea that may require a visit to a sleep clinic. An overnight stay will be required for the proper diagnosis during which a polysomnogram will record the interruptions in sleep, based on the person's symptoms of sleep apnea.
Proper Sleep Required For Daily Activities
Another one of the symptoms of sleep apnea is an overwhelming feeling of sleepiness during the day. The person may fall asleep in inopportune times such as while driving or in a business meeting. They may also wake up with a dry mouth, headache and sore throat from trying to breathe through an open mouth throughout the sleep period.
While the sleep partner can detect changes in breathing throughout the night, the sufferer may wake up frequently to begin breathing again, another of the symptoms of sleep apnea, and not realize it ever happened. The sufferer usually does not gain full consciousness when they are struggling to breathe. They may remember waking up in a sweat during the night, but will probably not associate it with sleep apnea.
In addition to loud snoring, another of the common symptoms of sleep apnea is feeling unrefreshed in the morning, regardless of how long the person has been sleeping. Being awakened possibly hundreds of times during the night will leave them feeling as though they had little sleep the night before.
