Symptoms-Part 1

Written by Fred McConnell

Do you wake up more tired than when you went to sleep? Do family members complain about your snoring? Do you find yourself wound up in the sheets in the morning, and wonder why you seem so restless? You may be experiencing sleep apnea symptoms. Oh well! No big deal, right? Wrong. The sleep disorder can rob you of more than a good night’s sleep. The lack of oxygen during sleep, and the sleep deprivation can lead to more serious health concerns like heart attack or stroke. So, if you think you might have sleep apnea, visit your doctor.

The Most Common Complaint

If you have a spouse, you may have heard it at least a thousand times: “You snore so loud! You may have been awakened countless times, in the middle of the night, to please roll over. In fact, it may have gotten so bad that you have been sent to sleep in the guest room, so your spouse can get a good night’s rest.

You may even snore so loudly that you kids tease you all the time. As a gag, they might have even recorded your nap on the couch, so you can hear the rumble for yourself. It has become much more than an annoyance. You may even be waking yourself up with loud snoring.

DUI

Everyone knows how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It not only puts the person behind the wheel at risk, but all of the other individuals on the road as well. But, are you putting the traveling public in danger, because you are driving under the influence of sleep deprivation?

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you can also be putting your life at risk, every time you get behind the wheel of your car. If you have a job that requires physical labor or dealing with heavy equipment, you are not doing yourself, or your coworkers, any favors.

Give Me Some Air

Have you ever been in a crowded room and needed to get out of there, so you can get some air? If you have sleep apnea, your breathing is interrupted because your airway has become obstructed or your body simply forgets to inhale. Then, you have to wake up, because your body is essentially saying, “Give me some air”.

The reason you may be so tired in the morning is because this process can occur hundreds of times every night. You may not realize it, but your body knows. Thus, you never reach that deep sleep stage that really gives your body a chance to rest and rejuvenate for the next day.

What?

How are your powers of concentration? Do you have trouble keeping your mind on the tasks at hand? Do you often need to have parts of conversations repeated, because your mind has wandered away, and you did not hear all that was said? If the answers to these questions are in the affirmative, it might be a sign that you are not getting enough sleep to be alert the next day.

As a result, you may lose your job or alienate relationships. If you attention span is so short, it is almost non-existent; you may have a bigger problem than forgetfulness. If lack of alertness is coupled with other symptoms, sleep apnea may be a problem.

Oh, My Head

If you wake up in the morning, more often than not, feeling like you have a hangover, without the party the night before, it might be the after effects of oxygen deprivation during sleep. If this is truly the case, you are susceptible to a potential stroke or heart attack, among other major health problems. If you are having a lot of headaches, before you even get out of bed, this could mean trouble, so get it checked out.

Cotton Mouth

Do you wake up in the morning and feel like you have had a mouth full of cotton, during the night. The first thing you want to do every morning is guzzle a glass of water, it may also be an indicator that you have a sleeping disorder. You probably have been breathing through your mouth most of the night, in order to get enough oxygen. In and of itself, dry mouth does not mean you have sleep apnea. But, added to some of the other symptoms, it naturally makes sense.

Goodness! What a list of symptoms for a sleep disorder that does not seem like a big deal. But, the list is still incomplete. In part 2, you will learn about symptoms of sleep apnea that can be potentially life-threatening. So, do not dismiss this health concern as a simple inconvenience. If you are not sleeping well at night, your body does not get the rest necessary to function properly. Then, you have a problem. So take care of yourself and see a doctor, if you think sleep apnea is affects you.