Sleep Apnea Symptoms You Should Know

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder wherein patients are usually the last to know or observe the symptoms. As indications of the breathing disorder only manifest when the patient is asleep, more often than not, he is unaware of his problem. The most common and identifiable sleep apnea symptoms are observed by the sufferers’ family, most specifically their bed partner.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms Patients Cannot Observe

• Snoring – Loud and incessant snoring cannot be heard or observed by the snorer. It is their bad partners that gets hears and put up with the noise.
• Long breath pauses – This also happens when the patient is asleep. Sometimes, even the husband or wife isn’t aware of this happening too, unless keenly observed.
• Choking and gasping – This is another sleep apnea symptom that is oblivious to the sufferer.
• Restless sleep – This includes a lot of tossing and turning. Excessive sweating due to the activity or to the extreme effort of breathing is also a sleep apnea indicator.
• Mouth breathers – Unless the patient has a severe case of colds or flu that congests his nasal airways, this is another sleep apnea warning sign.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms that Patients Can Observe

• Unexplained daytime sleepiness – If you thought you’d had enough sleep yet still longs for the bed the day after, feels tired and dizzy and can’t seem to perk up, you could be suffering from sleep apnea.
• Dry mouth, headaches in the morning – Do you have chronic morning headaches? Ever wonder why you always wake up dry-mouthed? This is also usually accompanied with sore throat.
• Multiple sleep disruptions – Can’t sleep the night thru? Do you have multiple trips to the bathroom? Do you usually wake up gasping for air? You might consider asking your bed partner if you snore.
• Difficulty to concentrate – Most patients have hard time concentrating even in simple tasks. This leads to poor performance at work or at school.
• Depression – People who are continually sleepy and unable to sustain energy throughout the day often feel inadequate and frustrated. This leads to bouts of depression.
• Unexpected daytime naps – People who are suffering from sleep apnea could fall asleep sitting up while driving, reading, working and eating. This could prove dangerous as it could result to road accidents and very embarrassing like sleeping in unsuitable places like in a bus, classrooms and even behind the wheel.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Children

• Short attention span – A lot of children exhibit impatience and don’t have sleep apnea, but if your child have the other symptoms, you should be consulting a doctor.
• Moodiness, irritable, hostile – If your child is angry without any particular reason, check for underlying health problems.
• Mouth breather – A healthy person even a child should be breathing through the nose when sleeping.
• Poor scholastic performance – This could be aggravated with sleeping spiels in the classroom.
• Restless in bed – Disturbed sleep, sweating, restlessness, bed-wetting, sleep-walking and even nightmares.
• Snoring – Children who snore have a high risk of suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Mild sleep apnea can be remedied by proper sleeping positioning, better food choices and healthier lifestyle. There are also simple sleep apnea exercises that could help the patient breathe easier. Easy tongue exercises for sleep apnea can alleviate some of the sleep apnea symptoms shown above.