Do you feel sleepy over and over in the morning? Do you always need a gallon of coffee to get through the day? Are you passing out the minute your head hits the pillow at night?
You might brush it off as just being exhausted or getting older. But it could be a sign of something more serious—adult sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea makes it so your breathing keeps stopping and starting all night long without you realizing it. You can wake up hundreds of times and not remember. This ruins the quality of your sleep, making you drag through the day. Left untreated, sleep apnea takes a major toll on your health.
The Symptoms of Adult Sleep Apnea
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Do you find yourself constantly fighting to stay awake during the day, no matter how much sleep you got the night before? Nodding off while reading, watching TV or even driving? This extreme daytime drowsiness is one of the most common signs of sleep apnea.
When your breathing is continuously interrupted during sleep, you end up severely sleep deprived. This leads to excessive sleepiness and fatigue no matter how long you were actually "asleep."
If you rely on naps, caffeine or energy drinks just to get through the day, it's a red flag. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a simple quiz you can take to measure daytime sleepiness. Print it out and bring the results to your doctor.
Morning Headaches
Waking up with a headache or feeling of confusion can also signal sleep apnea. When your oxygen drops repeatedly throughout the night, it causes changes in blood flow to the brain. This can lead to morning headaches or that groggy, "brain fog" feeling.
Pay attention to how you feel in the mornings after a full night of sleep. If you consistently wake up with headaches, it could indicate an underlying problem like sleep apnea.
Irritability and Mood Changes
Sleep deprivation has wide-ranging effects on your mental and emotional health. Adults with undiagnosed sleep apnea often notice increased irritability, anxiety and depression.
Your fragmented sleep prevents your brain from going through the full sleep cycle it needs to recharge. Plus, low oxygen levels cause chemical changes that affect mood. The combination can leave you feeling much more on-edge.
If you find yourself feeling increasingly impatient, lonely or sad for no clear reason, sleep apnea may be affecting your mental health. Discuss any emotional changes with your doctor to identify the potential cause.
Nocturia and Frequent Nighttime Urination
Nocturia is the medical term for excessive nighttime urination. Getting up to pee multiple times a night is common as we get older. But if it happens consistently, it can point to sleep apnea.
Here's why: the drops in oxygen levels caused by sleep apnea trigger a release of natriuretic peptides. This makes you urinate more frequently. Plus, poor sleep quality just makes you more aware of the need to go.
If you feel like you're constantly getting woken up by the urge to pee, track how many times it happens each night. Bringing the data to your doctor can help uncover if there's a deeper issue.
Decreased Libido and Impotence
Trouble achieving or maintaining an erection is more common in men over 40. But if erectile dysfunction comes on rapidly, it could be tied to sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
Studies show up to 91.3% of men with erectile dysfunction also have sleep apnea. The oxygen deprivation and fragmented sleep interfere with your hormone regulation. This makes it harder to achieve and sustain an erection.
Any major change in your libido or sexual function warrants a discussion with your doctor. Be open about any intimacy issues, as they could indicate an underlying condition disrupting your sleep.
Dry Mouth and Sore Throat in the Morning
That "cotton mouth" feeling when you wake up in the morning can be a surprising sign of sleep apnea. As you struggle to breathe around the obstructed airway, your mouth falls open, drying out your mouth and throat.
Plus, all of the snoring and gasping for air strains your throat muscles. This leads to that raw, sore throat feeling many sleep apnea patients experience upon waking.
Pay attention to symptoms like a sore, dry throat that seems worst in the morning. Bring up the details with your doctor, as they can provide clues to an underlying breathing disorder.
Abnormal Sweating at Night
Unexpectedly waking up soaked in sweat may signal sleep apnea. Your night sweats are actually a response to the adrenaline secreted when your body is under stress from oxygen deprivation.
These hormonal shifts disrupt your body temperature regulation, causing hot flashes and night sweats. Make note of any unusually heavy night sweating. It's one of the more subtle signals of sleep apnea worth discussing with a doctor.
High Blood Pressure
Multiple studies show sleep apnea significantly increases your risk of high blood pressure. When you stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, it causes your blood oxygen to drop and your blood pressure to rise.
Over time, the recurrent stress on your cardiovascular system can cause chronic high blood pressure. This puts you at higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
If you have high blood pressure that's difficult to control with medication and lifestyle changes, ask your doctor about getting evaluated for sleep apnea. Treating it can help normalize your blood pressure.
Gasping or Choking While Sleeping
This is one of the most frightening signs of sleep apnea - and often what finally motivates people to seek treatment.
If your partner notices you abruptly gasp or choke while sleeping, it's likely your body jolting you awake so you'll start breathing again. This symptom tends to get worse over time as sleep apnea progresses.
Don't ignore choking episodes during sleep - they're a medical emergency. Immediately alert your doctor so you can get tested for sleep apnea. Once diagnosed, treatment can prevent these dangerous breathing stoppages. You can also take our "do I have sleep apnea quiz" to see if you are at risk.
Other common signs include:
- Mouth breathing while awake or asleep
- Bedwetting and nightmares
- ADD/ADHD
- Teeth grinding
- Crowded, misaligned teeth
- Snoring or making noises while sleeping
- Allergies and asthma
- Dark under eye circles
- Aggression and irritability
- Poor concentration and academic performance
- Depression
The sooner you can identify what you're dealing with by taking a sleep apnea test, the faster you can get relief and start healing.
Act Now!
At Beverly Hills Aesthetic Dentistry, we know you want to be wide awake feeling totally recharged and ready to rock your day.
To make that happen, you need sleep that's peaceful all through the night, with easy, uninterrupted breathing.
The problem is sleep apnea keeps messing with your sleep, making you snore and gasp all night long. Your air flow gets cut off, leaving you feeling groggy no matter how long you were "sleeping."
Here's how we fix it with our sleep apnea treatment:
- First, we research your full sleep history and symptoms.
- Then we hook you up with a custom plan that can mix mouth appliances, breathing exercises, and high-tech CPAP alternatives.
- Finally, we walk with you on the path back to clear airways, solid sleep, and bright-eyed mornings.
So, book a consultation today with our sleep apnea specialist Dr. Jamielyn Hanam-Jahr.
And in the meantime, visit our website and get insights into how sleep apnea might be affecting you!