What Is Sleep Apnea?
The term sleep apnea is derived from the Greek apnoia, which means “breathless.” Literally, sleep apnea is a condition in which sleep is interrupted by a malfunction in your body’s breathing pattern. Unfortunately, because sleep apnea is only directly observable when someone is asleep, it often goes undiagnosed by medical professionals. In reality, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute estimates that over 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. Many don’t even know it. But their spouses or partners do!!
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
So how do you know whether or not you have sleep apnea? Although we advise against self-diagnosis, common symptoms include:
- Trouble waking up
- Early-morning headaches
- Daytime fatigue
- Impaired cognitive functioning (unexplained forgetfulness, depression, lethargy)
- Trouble sleeping
- Sexual malfunction, difficulty during sexual activity including desire and arousal
- Waking suddenly during the night with a sensation of choking
- Dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up
