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Sleep apnea is an extremely commonly seen sleep disorder which affects more than 12,000,000 Americans and today is as common as adult diabetes. The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which, as the name suggests, results from an obstruction to your airways which interferes with breathing. Additionally, there is another form of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea, in which your brain is unable to adequately control your breathing during sleep. Finally, some people suffer from mixed sleep apnea, which is a combination of both obstructive and central forms of this sleep disorder. The symptoms of sleep apnea may appear at any time and, although they are most often found in overweight men over forty, they may be found in both men and women of all ages and are increasingly being found nowadays in children. The most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is snoring which is of course a difficult symptom to spot yourself and usually has to be pointed out by a sleeping partner. Snoring has several different causes and the presence of snoring is not in itself a sign that you have sleep apnea. The majority of people with sleep apnea do snore. The second most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is excessive tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing regularly throughout the night and your body's instinctive reaction to this is to wake you just enough for you to begin breathing again, but not sufficiently so that you are aware that you are being awakened. The result is that your sleep is frequently interrupted and extremely light and you cannot get the deep sleep which the body needs to recharge its batteries. Consequently, over time, you find yourself becoming increasingly tired and sleepy during the day. If sleep apnea is left untreated its affects will start to become more and more evident and a range of additional symptoms will begin to appear. These may include headaches (especially first thing in the morning), petulance and sometimes depression. You could also find yourself starting to gain weight. A less obvious symptom of sleep apnea is raised blood pressure which can produce various cardiovascular difficulties. This will be spotted if you are among the increasing number of individuals who are now monitoring their blood pressure at home but otherwise may not be detected until you undergo a routine physical exam with your physician. Yet another increasingly seen symptom is that of learning difficulties and problems with memory retention. Once again this is not something that is easy to spot yourself but friends and family could well notice that you are not as quick on the uptake as you used to be. A number of people with sleep apnea will experience a decline in sexual function and this may ultimately result in impotency. As is the case with with the majority of conditions individual symptoms by themselves could well be a sign of just about anything. But, if you begin to notice these symptoms alongside each onther then you should consider consulting your physician and consider having yourself tested for sleep apnea. A word of warning. Sleep apnea testing will frequently mean referral to a sleep specialist, preferably a specialist who is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), and could involve undergoing overnight sleep testing either in a special sleep laboratory or at home. These tests can often cost more than $1,000 and you should check with your insurer before committing yourself to any program of sleep apnea testing.
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Help-Me-To-Sleep.com offers information and advice on a range of different sleep disorders including sleep apnea and looks at sleep apnea symptoms amongst other things. We also look in detail at finding a natural cure for insomnia
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