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5 Signs That You May Be Suffering from Sleep Apnea

a woman lies awake suffering from sleep apnea

If you have trouble getting restful sleep, you may be suffering from sleep apnea.

If you are regularly struggling to sleep, it may indicate a sleep disorder. One of the most common disorders is sleep apnea. This condition is chronic and disrupts your sleep, and can even increase anxiety and panic attacks. Having obstructive sleep apnea means that your airway gets blocked or collapses while you sleep. Sleep apnea can increase your risk of arrhythmia, heart conditions, strokes, and more. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from sleep apnea, and you should consult your doctor right away. 

Dry Mouth in the Morning

If you wake up with a desperate need to drink water, this may be due to sleeping with your mouth open. This may indicate that you are suffering from sleep apnea because you have to breathe through your mouth to compensate for a blocked airway passage. 

Morning Headaches

If you wake up with a pounding headache, you are probably not sleeping as well as you thought. A regular morning headache can often mean that you are not getting enough deep sleep. Those suffering from sleep apnea are often jolted awake, or into a less restful stage of sleep when their airway passage is blocked.

Jaw and Teeth Pain

If you wake up with a sore jaw and sensitive teeth and you experience other symptoms on this list, you may have sleep apnea. When you are struggling to get enough air, your jaw and mouth muscles are straining to allow access, which causes pain in the morning. 

Loud Snoring

If your partner has repeatedly told you that you’re snoring, or you’ve woken yourself up from snoring, this can indicate that you are suffering from sleep apnea. Frequent, loud snoring is indicative of the sleep disorder because snoring occurs when your air passage is blocked. 

Waking Up Gasping

This is one of the clearest symptoms of sleep apnea. If you find yourself waking up and struggling to breathe, you should consult with your doctor as soon as possible. This happens when you haven’t been able to breathe enough during sleep, and you aren’t getting enough oxygen. 

Steps for Treatment

There are a few behaviors you can change that will generally improve your sleeping habits and help to relieve any suffering from sleep apnea. These include quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills, and avoiding heavy meals and caffeine before bed. Regular exercise can reduce the chance of obstruction, and practicing breathing exercises can help strengthen your airway muscles. Sleeping on your side with your head slightly elevated can also help. 

If your doctor recommends more treatment, you may consider breathing or dental devices, sleep machines, or surgery. 

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