How Do You Know If You Have Sleep Apnea?
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders treated by sleep specialists. It is characterized by shallow sleep or multiple complete pauses which may lead to an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to the brain, heart and other vital organs.
So, how do you know you have sleep apnea? Read on to find out how:
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By checking your daytime activeness
Lack of enough sleep is known to cause tiredness and day sleepiness. This can be attributed to sleep apnea if it happens on a daily basis, you get enough sleep every night and your occupation doesn’t require too much physical effort.
The breath pauses experienced by sleep apnea patients may reduce their quality of sleep even when they “sleep” for the recommended daily minimum of 8 hours.
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By monitoring your sleeping habits
Snoring is arguably the most common sign of sleep apnea. It is brought about by the partial closure of the upper respiratory airways and can lead to a considerable cutback in the amount of oxygen reaching vital organs of the body.
Most people who snore do not know they do it. The best way to know you’re snoring, and are probably a sleep apnea victim, is to ask your roommate or bedmate about it.
That said, you’re not obviously a sleep apnea if you snore. Most individuals who snore are not sufferers of the condition. Likewise, a great deal of sleep apnea victims does not snore.
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By checking your wake-up shape
Morning headaches are sometimes associated with sleep apnea. Apnea-related headaches are caused by the widening of blood vessels when oxygen fails to reach the brain in sufficient amounts.
If you suspect you have sleep apnea, call 619.482.8880 today to schedule an appointment with one of our sleep specialists at Dr. Deanna Risos. We diagnose and offer treatment to patients with sleep disorders in and around Chula Vista.