There are several obvious warning signs. Loud, constant, wall-rattling snoring is the one that fits all sleep apnea patients. We snore, and it doesn't matter what position we're sleeping in, but sleeping on the back is the worst.
Folks who develop sleep apnea are often overweight, but sometimes (like in my case) it is a combination of softening of the soft palette (roof and back of the mouth), small face with little chin, and slight overbite.
Because the person suffering from sleep apnea's brain is getting regularly starved for oxygen, the brain sends desperate signals to wake the body up. This can sometimes manifest in horrific dreams where one is strangling, choking or drowning. But, for the most part, the sleep apnea patient just doesn't get the deep REM sleep that lets the brain recover at the end of the day. So...very few dreams at all.
And that person, because their brain is waking them up 20 - 100+ times an hour (even if they don't remember getting awakened), doesn't feel rested in the morning. They nod off frequently during the day. Sleep apnea can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but most of the people who die because of it do so in car accidents. They fall asleep at the wheel.
The best thing for a person who thinks that they might have sleep apnea is to go for a sleep study.
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2007-02-20 04:29 am (UTC)Folks who develop sleep apnea are often overweight, but sometimes (like in my case) it is a combination of softening of the soft palette (roof and back of the mouth), small face with little chin, and slight overbite.
Because the person suffering from sleep apnea's brain is getting regularly starved for oxygen, the brain sends desperate signals to wake the body up. This can sometimes manifest in horrific dreams where one is strangling, choking or drowning. But, for the most part, the sleep apnea patient just doesn't get the deep REM sleep that lets the brain recover at the end of the day. So...very few dreams at all.
And that person, because their brain is waking them up 20 - 100+ times an hour (even if they don't remember getting awakened), doesn't feel rested in the morning. They nod off frequently during the day. Sleep apnea can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but most of the people who die because of it do so in car accidents. They fall asleep at the wheel.
The best thing for a person who thinks that they might have sleep apnea is to go for a sleep study.