What are the Signs & Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Find out what to look for.

Snoring alone does not mean that a person has sleep apnea. However most patients with sleep apnea usually do have loud snoring accompanying their condition. Often times there are gasping or choking sounds during sleep that indicate an interruption in breathing. Finally, daytime fatigue often indicates that a person is not getting a restorative nights sleep due to the constant disturbances in the sleep cycle that interrupt and fragment their sleep.

Normal Breathing

• Feeling energy in the morning.

• Having restful sleep.

• Allowing bedfellow to have restful sleep.

• Less stress and anxiety.

• Able to control healthy body weight and have energy to exercise.

• Lower risk of Depression.

• Get sick less often.

• Lower your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease.

• Overall mood improvement.

• Restorative sleep.

During normal breathing the soft tissues in the back of the throat are taut and this tightness allows easy passage and flow of the air to the lungs. Although the majority of the population do not habutually snore, most of us will snore at some point in our lives.

Snoring

• Noise during sleep

• Sore throat

• Snoring is loud and often times disrupts your bed partner's sleep

• It often times is an indicator of a more significant sleeping disorder, especially if there are irregularities in breathing, and should be evaluated by a knowledgeable sleep health professional.

Snoring occurs when the tissues in the back of the throat, the soft palate, uvula and other respiratory structures, are relaxed and vibrate resulting in sounds as air passes through during breathing while sleeping. About 40 percent of adult men and 24 percent of adult women are habitual snorers.*

Sleep Apnea

• Loud snoring, which is usually more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea

• Episodes of breathing cessation during sleep witnessed by others

• Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, which more likely indicates central sleep apnea

• Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat

• Morning headache

• Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)

• Attention problems

• Irritability

During obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) the soft tissues in the mouth (tongue, soft palate, uvula) and in the back of the throat become too relaxed and collapse preventing the passage of air to the lungs.  This blockage interrupts the sleeping pattern as the body arouses to correct the situation so breathing can resume again.