Check Your Symptoms
If you have any of these daytime and nighttime symptoms, you could have a sleep-related breathing disorder.
Nighttime Sleep Symptoms
Snoring During Sleep
Due to the serious consequences of sleep suffocation, medical experts consider loud snoring to be sleep suffocation unless otherwise proven.
Gasping for Breath During Sleep
Sleep suffocation sufferers sometimes dream of not being able to breathe or dream of drowning.
Frequent Nighttime Urination
This is the body’s way of lowering spiking blood pressure. By dumping fluid, the total body fluid is lowered and blood pressure comes down.
Lack of Dreaming
Many sleep apnea and upper airway resistance suffers have a very difficult time getting to REM sleep where dreaming occurs.
Daytime Sleep Symptoms
Daytime Sleepiness or Fatigue
About half of sleep apnea sufferers experience daytime sleepiness.
Depression
Sleep disorders may lead to depression.
Morning Headaches
This is frequently the result of nighttime blood pressure elevation.
High Blood Pressure
Not being able to easily get air causes blood pressure rises.
Impotency
It is not understood specifically why sleep apnea sufferers more frequently experience impotency. However, increased sleepiness and fatigue rarely contribute to an amorous mood!
Heartburn
When someone is fighting for air during sleep, there is a tremendous negative intra-thoracic air pressure generated. This negative air pressure within the chest can actually cause the stomach contents to be sucked up during sleep.
Type Two Diabetes
People with sleep-related breathing disorders are much more likely to develop type two diabetes because they have fragmented sleep. This fragmented sleep impairs their ability to access slow wave sleep where a great deal of glucose regulation takes place. Diabetics who have undiagnosed sleep apnea often find that it is much easier for them to regulate the blood sugar levels after their sleep apnea is properly managed.
Cardiovascular Disease
There are many mechanisms that make cardiovascular disease a serious consequence of sleep-related breathing disorders, but none more important that the increase in blood pressure that results from the repetitive fight for oxygen during upper airway collapse.
Stroke
Sleep apnea sufferers are 20 percent more likely to have a stroke. The same mechanisms that cause cardiovascular disease also implicate sleep apnea as a significant risk factor in stroke. 50 percent of people who have a stroke also have obstructive sleep apnea.
