sleep apnea symptoms

8 Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Published On August 5, 2018 | By SDA Editorial Staff | Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a pretty serious sleeping disorder… but not everyone who suffers from sleep apnea symptoms actually has it. It is estimated that roughly half of those who snore regularly suffer from some type of sleep-disordered breathing, and obstructive sleep apnea absolutely fits into this. But how do you know if you actually have this disorder in particular?

As it turns out, taking stock of any signs or symptoms that you may be experiencing can do a lot to help. And in this post, we are going to go over 8 of the most common signs that you could be suffering from this pretty common, yet very concerning sleeping disorder.

Here they are.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms


Anxiety

Yes, anxiety can certainly be a symptom of OSA… because OSA keeps you from sleeping well. And failing to get enough sleep will raise your risk of anxiety. Depression is another potential symptom for very similar reasons.


Sex-Life Problems

Are you suffering from erectile dysfunction or a loss of libido? A lack of sleep can certainly hurt your sex life—and OSA could possibly be to blame.


Metabolic Syndrome

This is a more serious symptom of OSA that should not be ignored. If you are experiencing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, an excess of abdominal fat (or just unexplained weight-gain in-general), or elevated triglycerides (or any combination of these all at once), then you are potentially seeing at least the early signs of metabolic syndrome, and OSA may be the culprit.


Irregular Heartbeat

If you have ever felt an irregular or rapid heartbeat, then you probably know how scary it can feel to not understand why such a vital organ of your body is behaving in such an erratic fashion. Well, as it turns out, arrhythmias can be caused by a number of problems, and OSA is just one of them.

Side Note: If you do feel your heart doing ‘strange’ things inside of your chest, it is very important to talk to your doctor about it to rule out the possibility of a pending medical emergency.


Diminishing Motor Skills

Do you feel like your motor skills have decreased or diminished lately? Maybe you just feel clumsier, or like you have less control over your basic motor functions than you used to.

Well, sleep deprivation will do this to you… and it has been shown in studies that OSA can impair the improvement of motor skills that healthy sleepers usually experience.


Memory Loss

Have you been having trouble remembering things? Do you catch yourself failing to remember certain words, or find yourself unable to remember to how get to places you have been before?

If so, it is possible that OSA may be to blame. It has even been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in the long run—which is just another reason to make sure that you get it treated as soon as possible!


Shrinking Attention Span

Do you find that you feel more distracted than usual? Do you have trouble focusing and concentrating throughout the day? Has this problem impacted your work, relationships, or goals? If so, you should seriously take a look at your sleep apnea risk—because this is a definite symptom that a lot of people ignore.


Daytime Fatigue

This is probably the first indicator that you will experience if you are suffering from OSA, and it will definitely be noticeable. You will feel tired and groggy, and will find yourself less able to focus and maintain the same activity levels that you used to enjoy.

If you start to feel tired during the day, even after getting a ‘solid 8 hours of sleep,’ then it is time to look at the possibility that you may be suffering unknowingly from obstructive sleep apnea.

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