What are the symptoms of sleep apnea? The most common kind of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, where there is no airway obstruction at all, just normal breathing. With this kind of area, the body relaxes and there is a short pause between each breath and the next one, but then breathing resumes again quickly.
In a mild form of sleep apnea, there is an occasional apnea episode, during which the person does not breathe for a few seconds or minutes. Because of this, some people have mistakenly believed that they were dead during these episodes. And the short periods of silence can be very disturbing to a person’s rest, especially if he/she doesn’t have the energy to get up and get some rest.
But what happens when you have an acute episode of sleep apnea? Usually, the muscles in the throat relax as you sleep, and there is less air to flow into the area. So even though your mouth remains open, you don’t sleep as deeply. It takes more effort to get yourself to fall asleep, and the lack of deep sleep makes it harder to get up and get some rest.
Over time, the muscles in the throat and airway become loose, and the body relaxes. This can lead to very loud snoring sounds in which the sounds are fairly steady, although there may be some pauses between breaths. There may also be tongue movement, during which the tongue often slides back and forth, causing a clicking sound as the tongue moves.
It is not uncommon for an individual to wake up during an episode of sleep apnea, particularly if the person has been asleep for a long time and the symptoms start to occur early in the night. If you have had episodes of sleep apnea in the past, you might be on the lookout for this.
The first time you will experience some snoring may not be as obvious. But you may soon be awoken during an episode of apnea. You might wake up feeling very groggy like you haven’t had enough sleep, and you might not know how you got to where you are.
Often the person who does not have sleep apnea will be the one who will notice the problem. If you wake up with a pounding head and can’t remember how you got to sleep, you may wonder whether the problem is with you or with the sleeping partner.
A trip to the doctor can diagnose sleep apnea and be able to help you. But if this condition is already serious, your doctor will be able to prescribe a treatment program to help you get the treatment you need.
In mild cases of sleep apnea, a person can do a little exercise on a regular basis to help keep the body moving. As a result, he/she will be able to keep from becoming lethargic and will find it easier to breathe through the night.
There are treatment programs that can help you get to sleep with little fuss. If you’re interested in pursuing treatment for sleep apnea, there are some guidelines you should follow. Keep a log of your sleep habits, so that you can monitor your improvement over time.
Consider making some lifestyle changes that you can make yourself. Exercise regularly, get some fresh air every day, and cut down on smoking, especially if you’re a smoker.
