Sleep deprived? You could have undiagnosed sleep apnea. Know the signs and symptoms.
We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation epidemic and undiagnosed sleep apnea could be a likely contributing factor to this public health crisis.
Sleep apnea affects over 25 million adults in the US. It is a serious condition that is characterized by a pause in breathing during sleep that lasts between 10 to 30 seconds and occurs multiple times throughout the night. As serious as sleep apnea is, many do not even realize they have it. According to the Cleveland Clinic, as many as 80% of sleep deprived Americans actually have undiagnosed sleep apnea. If left undetected for long periods, or not treated properly, sleep apnea can have dire consequences including elevating a person’s risk of Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
That’s why it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.
If you are consistently tired during the day, snore, or are overweight or obese, you might have sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing. Read through the following common signs of sleep apnea and reflect on whether they relate to your experience. If they resonate with you, you may consider talking to a sleep physician or dentist who is trained in sleep apnea treatment. They will help you consider the next steps. Please note that the following are only the most common signs -- your particular case of sleep apnea may cause you to experience other symptoms.
Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Moderate to loud snoring: if your snoring is at the level that affects the sleep quality of your partner or roommate, or if you are awoken by your own snoring, then you may have sleep apnea.
- Pauses in breath while sleeping – these are most likely observed by your partner
- A dry mouth, dry throat or headaches in the morning after you have woken up
- Insomnia, which is consistent difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
- Hypersomnia, a condition that leads to consistent difficulty staying awake during the day
- Falling asleep at the wheel frequently, something knows as, “drowsy driving”
- Irritability
- Difficulty focusing on daytime tasks
In some cases, a person may have sleep apnea but not exhibit any of the symptoms. If you have any of the following attributes or behaviors, you may consider speaking to a health care professional about your risk of having sleep apnea:
- Being overweight or obese
- Having high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome
- Smoking
- Having a larger than average neck size, such as in the case of certain football players
- A family history of sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing
- Men are more likely to have sleep apnea than women and the risk of sleep apnea, although it can occur at any age, increases the older you are.
Knowledge is power! Knowing the signs and risk factors of sleep apnea is an important first step to in taking control of your health