Getting a good night’s sleep is imperative to maintaining good health, not to mention maximizing productivity during the day. Unfortunately, many people, old and young, don’t get enough sleep at night. There’s an obvious fix for night owls: go to bed earlier. But it isn’t always that easy. You see, sleep apnea affects 30 million Americans, and you may be one of them.
It can be difficult to know if you have sleep apnea or not. However, as with all medical conditions, there are signs and symptoms you can watch out for. In this article, we will discuss 5 signs of sleep apnea.
Snoring
Snoring not only wakes up your sleep partner, but it plays a role in you losing sleep as well. Of course, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but it is one of the signs. If you know you snore, or if your sleep partner snores, you may want to pay attention to other symptoms as well.
Daytime Fatigue
You can spend as much time as you want in bed sleeping, but you’re still not getting quality rest. If you or your sleep partner suffers from chronic daytime sleepiness or fatigue, you may be seeing some effects of sleep apnea.
Dry Mouth
People with sleep apnea often breathe through their mouths, which is why they wake up with a dry mouth and sore throat. A dry mouth in the morning is something to pay attention to.
Shortness of Breath
Waking up in the middle of the night feeling like you’ve just spent a few minutes too long underwater is never fun. This shortness of breath is caused because, essentially, you stopped breathing. Now, this isn’t to say that you’re going to suffocate in the night. Your body wakes you up for oxygen, and while we’re all grateful for that emergency response, it certainly doesn’t help you get a good night’s rest.
Sleep apnea can make your days (and nights!) more difficult than they need to be. At Earwood Dentistry, we can help. Visit us online today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing you!
