Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Most people don’t realize that they are suffering from sleep apnea until a bed partner tells them or they have a sleep study done. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes one to stop breathing for short periods of time while sleeping.  Sleep apnea symptoms are varied, but very noticeable. Unfortunately, most people think that their sleep apnea symptom is actually a symptom or evidence of something else.

When the breathing stops while asleep, the brain picks up the decrease in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide and sends a message to start breathing again. This causes a person to wake up from rest – even if they instantly go back to sleeping and don’t remember the incident. But waking up from rest for even a split second is an interruption in your sleeping pattern, and this causes physical and mental symptoms that cannot be ignored forever.

Stopping and starting your breathing while asleep is evidence or a symptom of sleep apnia – but again, someone else will notice that evidence – not you. You may wake up choking or even gasping to get air into your lungs. If you haven’t been breathing for a minute or two, this will wake you up. You may even remember waking up – but in most cases you won’t understand why you did and why you are not asleep. Loud snoring is another symptom or evidence of sleep apnia. If you wake up sweating or if you feel like you have had no rest upon waking in the morning, you may have sleep apnia.

Frequent headaches, sleepiness during the day, lethargy, weight gain, memory loss, learning difficulties, trouble concentrating, making poor decisions, depression and personality changes are all frequent signs that you are not getting enough rest when asleep and you are probably suffering from sleep apnia. You should seek the advice of a physician and have a sleeping study done.

See Also: Sleep Apnea Treatments

About The Author:
Andrew Thomas is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.sleep-disorders-help.com.