Do you (or your partner?!?) stop breathing during the night and suddenly starting again?
If so, it may be sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that's characterized by breathing that stops and starts repeatedly.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Loud snoring
- Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Morning headache
- Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
- Difficulty paying attention while awake
- Irritability
If you think you have sleep apnea, you should discuss it with your doctor, who may refer you to a sleep clinic for testing.
It's very important that you speak with your doctor about it because there are several different causes and, left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious deadly consequences. A friend of mine fell asleep hunting in a tree stand and fell out, breaking his arm; he was very lucky that the gun didn't go off!
The obvious risk is hurting or killing yourself or someone else in an accident caused by falling asleep when you shouldn't (like while driving or at work), but there are other risks that are just as deadly or debilitating, including: high blood pressure, heart disease,and stroke.
