Has your better half moved to the other spare bedroom to sleep since you snore so loudly? What you’re having may be sleep apnea symptoms, and you don’t want to take those for granted. Some of the symptoms seem common or even normal to others. Severe snoring is enough to merit a trip to your doctor and doctors are taking apnea very seriously now.
Sleep apnea is basically the cessation of breathing during sleep due to your throat closing and not allowing you to sleep fully. It bascially means you are waking up several times a minute and never truly being asleep, but rather as one doctor put it “unconscious awake”
A key sleep apnea symptom for adults is excessive sleepiness during the day. This is not just your typical sleepiness because of staying up late. You literally cannot stay awake, and are nodding off into what are called micro sleeps, which are different than normal nodding off in that you literall fall asleep for a few seconds. If you’ve ever been driving at night and been very sleepy but must stay awake to drive then that is what sleep apnea makes you feel like but you might be at the office or at school. This is just but one of many sleep apnea symptoms.
Very loud and gaspy snoring is an almost certain indicator of sleep apnea Apnea snores are so loud that it is impossible to sleep in the same room with a sufferer. If you wake up during the night gasping for air and choking, it may very well be sleep apnea. Because of the snoring and the open mouth sleeping it causes, you’ll lose a lot of moisture to the air and hence get dry mouth. The have difficulty breathing through the nose so they tend to sleep with their mouths open.
In severe cases of sleep apnea, some frequently wake up at night to urinate. Urination becomes frequent because of a certain hormone that is released when pressure on the heart is increased due to disruptions in breathing.
Heartburn, swelling of the legs, sweating, and chest pain are some other sleep apnea symptoms. Some may experience restlessness and may find themselves tossing and turning at night. Other symptoms would be waking up in the morning still feeling tired and usually having headaches. Some people tend to have problems in memory and concentration, and also experience personality changes. However, these sleep apnea symptoms alone are not good indicators of sleep apnea since they may very well be associated with other medical conditions.
A growing number of sufferers of apnea are seeking help. However, children could be affected by this condition, too. Sleep apnea symptoms in children vary depending on their age. Young children and toddlers get a lot of restlessness and wake more than usual. Symptoms for children who are 5 years and older include snoring, bed-wetting, poor performance in school, short attention span, and in some cases, growing slower than most kids their age.
If you experience these symptoms, or have a child or a relative that does, try out some home treatments. Better yet, consult a physician if you think you have sleep apnea. Get it treated fast, and get back to sleep.
