Snoring throughout the night. Gasping for air suddenly while sleeping. Feeling tired after a night of rest. These aren’t just signs of a poor night’s sleep, they could be symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder characterized by a repetitive collapse of the airway during sleep. Most people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it. In fact, 80 percent of people with sleep apnea in the United States are undiagnosed, according to research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Experts from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommend most adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night without waking frequently. If you have untreated sleep apnea, healthy, uninterrupted sleep can be hard to achieve. When the airway collapses or becomes blocked while you sleep, it causes you to wake briefly—maybe with a snore or gasp for air—to unblock the airway.

Untreated sleep apnea can contribute to long-term health problems, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and depression. Overall quality of life can also suffer. It can lead to a decline in mood, lower work productivity, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, and an increased likelihood of getting into a traffic accident due to sleepiness.

The disorder may even affect your family and relationships; snoring or poor sleep due to sleep apnea can keep your family members up at night, affect your mood with others, and impact your general decision-making process. Consider this additional information about sleep apnea from Count on Sleep, a collaborative awareness program led by the AASM.

The following are some of the signs and symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):

• Snoring or noisy breathing.

• Stopping breathing while asleep.

• Waking up gasping or choking.

• Restless sleep or waking up tired and groggy after a full night’s sleep.

• Insomnia.

• Waking up frequently to use the bathroom.

• Having headaches in the morning.

• Feeling sleepy or falling asleep during the day.

• Having difficulty with memory or concentrating.

• Mood changes or irritability.

• Drowsy driving.

Risk factors for OSA include:

• Overweight or obesity (BMI of more than thirty).

• High blood pressure.

• Neck size of more than seventeen inches for men and sixteen inches for women. 

• Coronary artery disease (a type of heart disease) or heart attack.

• Atrial fibrillation or other heart rhythm problems.

• Congestive heart failure.

• Type 2 diabetes.

• Stroke.

• Daytime sleepiness.

If you think you may have undiagnosed sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about your signs, symptoms, risk factors, and concerns. If friends or family members exhibit these symptoms, urge them to talk to a doctor.

Your doctor may screen or test you for sleep apnea, which could include an at-home sleep test or sleep study at an accredited sleep center. If diagnosed, treatment options include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliance, surgery, or lifestyle changes.

Learn more about how sleep apnea affects health, and take a short quiz to see if you may be at risk at countonsleep.org.

Article courtesy of Family Features - By the American Academy of Sleep Medicine