Your kids may think it’s funny and your significant other may even like giving you a hard time about your incessant snoring, but how can you tell if your snoring is something more serious like sleep apnea? From feeling constantly tired to gasping for breath while sleeping, this article will discuss three signs that your snoring is more than just a simple snore. Read on to learn more.
- Feeling Constantly Fatigued
Do you wake up feeling tired even after you have gotten your required eight hours of sleep at night? If so, this is one of the biggest indications that you have sleep apnea. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea don’t get the rest that they think they are getting because their sleep is disrupted multiple times an hour. So, even though you may think you are getting the eight hours of sleep at night, you aren’t even getting one full hour. - Nightmares
Do you dream a lot and have consistent nightmares? Although some of those nightmares may be due to that scary movie you stayed up watching, they also may be attributed to sleep apnea. Patients who have sleep apnea, stay in a dream state and don’t ever enter the REM state (which is required to help you get the relaxation and recuperation that your body needs). If you notice that you are having frequent nightmares, ask your doctor about sleep apnea. - Breathing Disruption
Do you wake up in a panic gasping for breath? One of the scariest and most damaging parts of sleep apnea is that your breathing often stops or is disrupted— leaving you gasping for breath in the middle of the night. With a lot of patients, they don’t remember gasping for breath, but their significant other wakes up to them either not breathing or trying to get some air.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that if left untreated can lead to further problems related to the heart and other parts of the body. If you suffer from all or some of the symptoms above, you may need to get checked for sleep apnea. To learn more about sleep apnea or sleep apnea treatment options, contact McDowell Dental Group today!