7 Silent Signs of Sleep Apnea
Our sleep quality is influenced by many factors, the most important of
which is the time we devote to it. The experts' general recommendation
is to sleep 7-8 hours every night, but even if you sleep the recommended
amount of time, you may still wake up tired and exhausted without
understanding why. If this is the case, you may have sleep apnea, a
syndrome most people suffering from it are unaware of, and in fact,
about 6% of the population suffers from it, or 1 in 20 people. So how do
you know whether or not you have sleep apnea? Go over the following
silent signs and see if they describe you. We’ve also added a section
about children so you can make sure your child doesn’t suffer from it as
well.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
This syndrome is a sleep disorder that is manifested by a break in the
breathing process or a decrease in breathing rate during sleep. It is
usually caused by obstruction of the airway, with the lax tongue and
palate blocking the airway, also causing snoring. The condition is
rarely caused by a nervous system problem or by a brain injury. The
cessation of breathing can last from 10 to 30 seconds, which causes the
person suffering from the problem to wake up in the middle of the night
to catch their breath. People who suffer from sleep apnea experience
restless nights, even without knowing it, and eventually wake up tired
as if they didn’t sleep properly - because they truly haven’t.
7 Silent signs of sleep apnea
1. You feel tired all day long
If you are tired at all hours of the day, don’t just blame your busy
life. "A lot of people feel tired, but don’t know why and attribute it
to lack of sleep, among other things," says Dr. Boris Chernobilsky,
director of sleep and airway surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New
York City. iFatigue during the day that results from sleep apnea affects
men more than women.
2. You wake up with a headache
If your day starts with a headache, sleep apnea could be the cause. Even
if you sleep seven to eight hours a night, as recommended, this
syndrome prevents you from sleeping properly and wakes you up to 100
times every night, according to a study conducted at the Stanford Center
for Sleep Sciences.
3. You visit the bathroom many times
throughout the night
According to Dr. Chernobilsky, many patients try to find a reason for
their frequent wake ups in the middle of the night thus attributing it
to the need to relieve themselves. "Many people wake up in the middle of
the night and don’t know why, so they’ll think maybe it’s because they
need to pee." While this may be the case for you, you should still be
aware: If these are frequent and many, your bladder may be fine, and the
problem may be sleep apnea.
4. You are anxious or have frequent mood swings
A lack of sleep can make everyone anxious, no matter what kind of ay
they’re having. Frequent mood swings are the product of stress and
anxiety, and may also be indirect signs of sleep apnea. In a study
conducted at Harvard's Department of Sleep Medicine, people who don’t
sleep enough every night often suffer from depression and mental
exhaustion - all of which can be suspicious signs of sleep problems.
5. Your driving skills are worsening
“One of the biggest signs of sleep apnea is car accidents,” says Dr.
Chernobilsky. In fact, a study conducted in 2015 at the University of
Gothenburg in Sweden found that people with sleep apnea were 2.5 times
more likely to be involved in a car accident. In another study conducted
in the United States, there was a 70% reduction in the number of road
accidents of people with sleep apnea who received medical treatment for
the problem.
6. You gain weight for no apparent reason
Hormones that regulate your sense of hunger work hard at night
throughout your sleep cycle. "When you disturb the natural circadian
rhythm, some hormones don’t reach their peaks or get released at all,"
says Dr. Chernobilsky, meaning that during the day you will feel
hungrier and your body may develop insulin resistance, which means you
will eventually develop diabetes.
7. You’re experiencing intimacy problems
"Impotence is a big sleep apnea sign for men. Many blame it on low
testosterone or stress, but sleep apnea can be the cause," Dr.
Chernobilsky says, adding that people with erectile dysfunction were
twice as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than those without it, and
the cause of this is a problem sleep cycle patterns.
Signs of sleep apnea in children
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea, and there are signs that may
seem common and insignificant, but when they appear together, they can
indicate that your child suffers from sleep apnea. Irritable behavior,
nervousness, difficulty in concentration and decline in academic grades
are symptoms of this problem, according to Dr. Chernobilsky, a study in
2015 found that the professions most affected by the syndrome were art,
mathematics, and science.
As noted, all of these symptoms can occur in any child regardless of
sleep apnea, but another sign that may cause you to suspect the problem
is bedwetting. Dr. Chernobilsky says: "When their breathing is
disturbed, oxygen levels drop, which makes them lose bladder function."
If your child is already potty trained but still wetting the bed, it is
recommended to take them to a doctor and discuss the possibility of
sleep apnea.