Sleep Apnea Symptoms Are Not Always Easy To Spot

Sleep apnea symptoms are most often seen in men over the age of forty who are overweight but they can appear at any time in both men and women and are now being seen more and more in children.

The clearest symptom of sleep apnea (which is just one of many common sleep disorders) is snoring which is hard to spot by yourself and often has to be pointed out to you by a sleeping partner. There are many reasons for snoring and the mere fact that you snore does not itself mean that you have sleep apnea. However, most sleep apnea sufferers do snore.

The second most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is undue tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea sufferers stop breathing frequently while sleeping and the body's natural reaction is to awaken you enough for you to start breathing again, but not sufficiently for you to be aware that you are being aroused. This of course means that your sleep is constantly interrupted and therefore very light so that you do not get the deep sleep that you need. As a result you grow increasingly tired during the day.

If left untreated the effects of sleep apnea start to emerge and you will begin to experience further symptoms that might include headaches (particularly first thing in the morning), touchiness and even depression. You could also find that you are starting to put on weight.

Another less obvious symptom of sleep apnea is a rise in blood pressure that can lead to several cardiovascular problems. If you are one of the growing number of people who are starting to monitor their blood pressure at home you will pick this up quite easily but, otherwise, it will not be found unless and until you attend your doctor for a routine physical.

A further symptom is that of learning difficulties and growing difficulties with memory retention. This is once again not something which is easy for you to notice yourself but other people may well notice that you are not as fast on the uptake as you used to be.

Lastly, a number of sufferers from sleep apnea will experience a decline in sexual function which can result in impotency.

Any of these symptoms by themselves can of course point to just about any problem you can think of. If you start to notice these symptoms appearing together however then there is a good chance that you have sleep apnea and you should talk to your physician and consider being tested for sleep apnea.