Sleep apnea is a common disorder that many suffer from, and can potentially be very dangerous. Some signs may be small, such as snoring, but this disorder is most commonly linked to a suspension in breathing during the night. The main forms of this disorder are obstructive and central sleep apnea, which often have overlapping symptoms. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax while a person is asleep. Otherwise, a period during sleep where the brain fails to send the signals that enable breathing is classified as central sleep apnea. These two may both be present in one person, which is known as complex sleep apnea.
Again, the disorder can be very dangerous, and it can also present itself with a wide variety of symptoms. Causes of the sleeping disorder vary between the two types. With obstructive sleep apnea, the relaxing of the throat muscles causes the airway to become restricted so you are unable to take a normal breath, which the brain will sense and then send alerts to rouse you from sleep. Similarly, breathing is periodically stopped with central apnea, and you may also wake short of breath. This can happen many times throughout the night for both types; also, symptoms of each may overlap.
1. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Whether or not you have this sleeping disorder, anyone can attest to the fact that a poor night’s sleep can cause some daytime drowsiness. Many people around the world suffer from this exhausting sleep disorder, and from never getting a good night’s sleep, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness.
Known as hypersomnia, being excessively tired during normal waking hours is not only a symptom of different types of sleep apnea, but is also caused by this disorder’s other symptoms. As you will see when delving a little deeper into the other symptoms, this particular sleeping disorder produces many different side effects. Exhaustion and sleepiness during the day are usually a very early indicator of apnea and, if paired with any others, it is recommended to see a doctor.
2. Insomnia
In contrast to hypersomnia, those who suffer from sleep apnea often experience inability to sleep at night, or insomnia. It may seem contradictory that one may experience this after sleeping poorly the previous night and then having a day full of exhaustion; however, insomnia is one of the most common signs of this disorder.
The reason sleep apnea causes insomniac tendencies is because of the stress created by shortened breath or interrupted breathing. As this can begin to occur as soon as someone begins to sleep, the brain will often begin to race and bring stressful issues to mind. This can even happen each time the person is awoken by difficulty breathing, causing the sleeplessness.
3. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a very common indicator of the disorder, not just for the reasons listed above. When insomnia occurs, a person is unable to ever get a good night’s rest. This deprivation of sleep can lead to unfocused and unproductive days, where a person is truly unable to feel like his or herself. Even when insomniac tendencies are not a symptom of the disorder, one may still experience sleep deprivation. Some people with this sleeping disorder believe themselves to have a good night’s sleep; when, in fact, they still experience other symptoms of sleep apnea which lead to sleep deprivation and difficult waking hours.
4. Excessive Snoring
While snoring is not always linked to this particular sleeping disorder, it is a very typical indicator of the dysfunction. It is most common with obstructive sleep apnea rather than central. With this type, the airways close due to the over relaxation of the muscles. With the airways restricted, chronic snoring is likely to occur. Snoring is much less likely to occur with central sleep apnea, but it is not impossible. If excessive snoring is linked with other symptoms, such as fatigue and insomniac tendencies or, particularly, episodes where breathing is interrupted, it is usually quite likely that apnea is the cause.
5. Episodes of No Breathing
Episodes of interrupted breathing is not only the most telling sign of sleep apnea, it is also the main characteristic of both types of it. The two types of the disorder, obstructive and central, along with a combination of the two (complex sleep apnea), are very different processes that occur within the body. While the causes are different, the outcome is the same: episodes of no breathing will occur during the night. This is the main characteristic of sleep apnea, and sleep studies are used to diagnose it. Many people also ask a partner or close friend to monitor their sleep during the night to see if this is happening, if other symptoms of this sleep disorder are occurring.
6. Mouth Breathing
Sleep apnea, along with the stress that it produces, will cause breathing through the open mouth during the night. Either type of the disorder can be a reason that this type of breathing will occur, as it often becomes habitual for a person to breathe through their mouth in the brain’s attempt to gain as much oxygen as possible. Mouth breathing, outside of this disorder, can also be caused by anxiety or stress.
These are, of course, another symptom of apnea; therefore, it can exacerbate breathing through the mouth. Furthermore, the panic and stress that is caused by the abrupt loss of breath which is characteristic of this disorder is another reason that this type of breathing can occur. Many people fall into the habit of mouth breathing due to apnea and stress, and even find they do it habitually during the daytime.
7. Dry Mouth/Throat
People who suffer from sleep apnea also find dry mouth/throat issues are common. Its main characteristic is shortness of breath, which leads to mouth breathing. Each of these signs of the disorder can tend to produce dryness in the mouth and throat. This dryness is extremely common for those with either type of sleep apnea, particularly because periodic episodes of breathlessness occur, leaving the person seemingly gasping for air in his or her sleep. When this gasping lead to mouth breathing, as the brain tries to receive as much oxygen as possible, the open mouth during sleeping or being awake will cause the mouth and throat to dry out.
8. Fatigue
Many people experience fatigue for a number of reasons, but combined with any of these other symptoms, sleep apnea may be the diagnosis. Even those suffering from apnea, who report that they feel they indeed had a good night’s sleep, will still experience fatigue during the day. Many people with either type of apnea do not realize that they are waking up breathless throughout the night, because the interruptions are so brief, and they may even become somewhat accustomed to them; however, it is still true that real rest has not been achieved. The many interruptions that happen during attempt at sleep will cause a person to be excessively tired and possibly unfocused during the day.
9. Headache
Restless sleep is known to cause headaches during the day, and they can be yet another indicator of the sleeping disorder. They can also be caused by the weariness that people experience when suffering from either type of apnea. Also, when the breathing is interrupted frequently during the night, the brain is unable to receive as much oxygen as it typically would. This can be another source of an ache caused by the disorder. The low oxygen levels can widen blood vessels, causing vascular headaches; these are one of the most common complaints of those who suffer from sleep apnea.
10. Irritability
Last, but certainly not least, one of the common signs of sleep apnea is irritability. In a way, irritability is like a second-generation symptom of this sleep disorder. Apnea’s many other symptoms cause a person to feel fatigued or have searing headaches, which alone can easily cause a person to feel irritable. Having a poor night’s sleep of restless breathlessness is another reason that a person may be irritable.
Last, when a person has interrupted breathing and they are not getting quite enough oxygen, this can also cause a person to become irritable. Alone, irritability is not necessarily an indicator, but if you are experiencing this with any other symptoms, particularly an abrupt interruption of breathing during sleeping, then it is a good time to consult a doctor or specialist and participate in a sleep study to find out if this disorder is occurring.
