How to Tell If You Have Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that includes abnormal pauses in breathing or periods of abnormally low breathing during sleep. Often undetected by the person suffering from the condition, this sleep disorder occurs in three variations; obstructive, central and a combination of the two. OSA, obstructive sleep apnea, is the most common form and if not treated properly can lead to more dangerous medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmia and diabetes. Because sleep apnea causes daytime fatigue in the patient there is also the risk for accidents while driving or at work. Recognizing the symptoms of this disorder is essential to effectively treating this condition.

Though it is very hard for someone who suffers from sleep apnea to diagnose their own condition, especially if they do not share a bed with a partner, there are several signs or symptoms that will alert someone to the presence of the sleep disorder. Some of the more common symptoms of sleep apnea include excessive daytime fatigue, morning or night headaches, swelling of the legs, heartburn at night, sweating and chest pain while sleeping, nighttime choking or gasping spells and loud snoring. Again, many of these symptoms will go unnoticed by the person suffering from the disorder so it is important to pay close attention to episodes of drowsiness and rare headaches as these may be a sign of a sleep apnea condition.

If you do have a bed partner they will have a much easier time detecting symptoms of sleep apnea and should be on the lookout for episodes of not breathing which can occur between 5 and 50 times in an hour, restless tossing and turning during sleep, loud snoring and nighttime choking. The sooner a bed partner recognizes these symptoms the better chance you have to visit a doctor before the condition worsens. If excessive and loud snoring continues for several nights in a row that is a sign that something is not right.

Though this is a serious medical condition it can be treated fairly quickly in a number of ways including lifestyle changes that involve quitting smoking and exercising regularly, using a continuous positive airway pressure machine, oral appliances such as an anti-snoring mouthpiece and having specific surgery such as a Tracheostomy. Most mild cases of this sleep disorder can be treated with natural remedies while it is only under severe circumstances that surgery is required. But the sooner you recognize sleep apnea symptoms the better chance you have to properly treat and cure this sleep disorder.

If you have a snoring problem and are looking for affordable and effective treatments such as anti-snoring mouthpieces and nasal breathing aids visit No Snore Zone today.

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Who's Suffering More From Lack of Sleep - Men or Women?

This week, I was interviewed by WCBS-TV New York for a news segment called, "Sleep: the Battle of the Sexes." The topic was one I am very familiar with: People suffering from lack of sleep, and how it can affect daytime mood, mental acuity, job performance and relationship intimacy.

The show drilled down a bit farther and asked: who is more likely to suffer from a sleep disorder, men or women? And of the two genders, which performs better despite a lack of sleep?

What we know is that men and women have different circadian rhythms. According to an article by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, "The circadian rhythms of melatonin and body temperature are set to an earlier hour in women than in men, even when the women and men maintain nearly identical and consistent bedtimes and wake times. Moreover, women tend to wake up earlier than men and exhibit a greater preference for morning activities than men."

In other words, women tend to go to sleep and wake up earlier than men. We also know thanks to a Penn State study that women need 6.8 hours of sleep per night, while men require just 6.2 hours. While scientific studies are interesting, there is a discrepancy between these numbers and what I am seeing in my office at the Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center.

Based on the facts, one would think women are getting to sleep earlier and sleeping longer than their male counterparts. But are women getting the sleep they need? In my anecdotal opinion, they are not, and they are suffering quietly for it. In our society, men are stressed out, but women are really stressed out. The physical demands of balancing career and family, along with the mental strain of worrying about finances and future is taking its toll on the women in our society.

Don't get me wrong, men worry and suffer from sleep disorders too. But they seem more willing to speak up and seek treatment. Women, on the other hand, being the selfless caregivers they are, stay focused on others and what needs to be done and power through their day. Which explains another Penn State study that found sleep deprived women made fewer mistakes compared to men in a series of computer tasks. It seems that, although women need more sleep, they do better without it because, for better or worse, they're just more used to it.

Whether a man or woman is suffering from a lack of sleep, the fact is that a sleep disorder can lead to negative health issues, including an increased chance of hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis and inflammatory disease.

In addition to personal health issues, a sleep disorder can wreak havoc on a relationship. The partner of a patient once shared with me how his snoring and sleep apnea had impacted their relationship. It led to weeks without quality REM sleep, and she said it left her feeling groggy with low energy, cranky, unable to concentrate for long and she was more prone to getting sick. His constant snoring caused her to start sleeping on the couch, which led to resentment, lack of intimacy and loss of connection.

I have made it clear in previous blogs that I am not a marriage counselor or relationship expert. But I can tell you unequivocally that, if you or your partner snores or suffers from a lack of sleep on a consistent basis, it will negatively affect your relationship.

In the end, circadian rhythms and who performs better and the sex of the person with the sleep disorder doesn't matter. What matters is getting it treated and keeping the relationship healthy.

This also bears repeating: Turn off the TV when you go to sleep. Falling asleep with the TV or computer on interrupts deep REM sleep because the light from the screens interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that tells our bodies when it's time to go to sleep. Do yourself a favor and turn off the TV, computer and lights at night. Your brain and body will thank you for it the next day.

To watch "Sleep: The Battle of the Sexes" on CBS2 New York, click here.

David Volpi, M.D., P.C., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified otolaryngology surgeon with Ear, Nose and Throat practices, Otolaryngology Associates, on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side and is a staff member of the best teaching hospitals New York City. Realizing that there is a lack of information on the part of the public about the potential severity of snoring, he founded The Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center to be a place where snoring patients can go for expert information, diagnosis and treatment. As a recognized authority throughout the country for his work in snoring disorders, he is also the author of the definitive guide book on the diagnosis and treatment of snoring: Wake Up! You're Snoring...

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American College of Surgeons, the Medical Society of the State of New York, the New York County Medical Society, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the American Rhinologic Society.

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Poor Sleep Leads To Poor Choices

We all make regrettable decisions when under the influence of alcohol. We may get into an argument with our spouse, act inappropriately at an office party, or inadvertently alienate our friends with a thoughtless comment. The same can happen when you're too groggy to give the proper attention to your actions.

It has been shown that a lack of sleep can have the same effect on people as drinking alcohol. Going without sleep for 24 hours or getting only five hours of sleep a night for a week is the equivalent of a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent.

A study in Britain demonstrated that drivers behind the wheel who have been awake between 17 and 19 hours were more dangerous on the road than drunk drivers, with reaction times up to 50 percent slower.

Another experiment found that doctors who operate under a lack of sleep make more mistakes than doctors who had been drinking.

Then there are pilots, bus drivers and other responsible professions that require steel nerves and attentiveness or else tragic consequences can occur. A poor night's sleep can be more than disruptive: in some cases it can be downright dangerous.

The same can be said for those caring for small children, while taking others to school. No one in her right mind would think of driving her children drunk. But a tired new mother may do it every day out of necessity, without knowing the intoxicating effect a lack of sleep has on her system.

People who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and may take unnecessary risks.

Even one day at work after a poor night's sleep can have devastating effects on one's career. It's like going to work with whisky on your breath, and the liquor still surging through your veins, seducing you in one bad decision after another. It's simply not worth it.

One of the leading causes of insomnia and restless sleep is a poor mattress. It is amazing most North Americans will spend thousands on gym memberships, personal trainers and healthy diets to make sure that their bodies are functioning at their best, yet will buy the cheapest mattress they can, hoping to save a few bucks.

A mattress is an investment in one's health, happiness and well-being. By investing in a high-quality brand name bed like Simmons, Sealy or Serta, one is ensuring that sleep is the true priority, not savings.

One of the worst choices you can make when you are tired is to buy a cheap bed. Do your research, and buy your mattress on a clear head. Don't think of the money you'll be saving, think of the mistakes you'll be preventing when you sleep well every night.

Susan Kent writes about mattresses for Victoria mattress store, Mattress Choice.

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