Sleep apnea is the medical term used to describe brief periods of time during sleep when breathing stops. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive, in which the breathing problem originates in the upper airway, and central sleep apnea, in which the nervous system causes the breathing cessation. Although a sleep partner may notice symptoms of sleep apnea during the night, there are also symptoms that are evident during the daytime hours, which indicate you may be experiencing sleep apnea.
Overeating and Weight Gain
Sleep apnea has been associated with weight gain. Researchers believe that obstructive sleep apnea predisposes you to gain more weight because you eat more during the day to try to stay awake. Physicians have known that people who are overweight will have a higher incidence of suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Scientists have also linked the development of further weight gain after a diagnosis of sleep apnea. In the study, "Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain Found" published in 2009 by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, researchers found that individuals who suffered from more severe forms of obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to gain more weight than those who have less severe forms of sleep apnea.
Sleepiness
If you have sleep apnea, your room mate or spouse will report that you are snoring during the night and sleep very restlessly. You may even be acting out dreams during your sleep. This activity, combined with the decreased oxygen levels during the night, leads to sleepiness during the daytime hours. According to the "Merck Manual," this increased sleepiness during the day can decrease your productivity and make activities such as operating heavy machinery and driving a car, dangerous.
Headache
According to the Mayo Clinic, awakening with a headache in the morning is one of the daytime symptoms of sleep apnea. It is common for you to awaken feeling tired, unrefreshed and with a headache. Sleep apnea causes consistent periods of apnea, or lack of breathing and therefore oxygen, during the night. This low level of oxygen deprivation can affect the brain and the ability of the body to fully rest during the night, resulting in feelings of fatigue and headache first thing in the morning.
Dry Mouth
According to the Mayo Clinic if you have sleep apnea you may also awaken with a dry mouth or sore throat. This is a result of more mouth breathing that dries the mucus membranes of the mouth and throat. You will have a sore throat and dry mouth until the tissues are able to rehydrate during the morning hours when you begin to breathe through your nose once more.
Warnings
According to the "Merk Manual," the diagnosis of sleep apnea often goes unrecognized and can result in hypertension, heart failure and accidents related to falling asleep that can lead to death or injury. Other conditions that can result are obesity, stroke, nocturnal angina and cardiac arrhythmias. If you believe that you have these daytime symptoms of sleep apnea, seek the advice of your primary care physician or ear, nose and throat specialist. Only a medical professional can diagnose and recommend treatment protocols to avoid the development of these significant health problems.
