When the muscles relax too much, your airways become narrowed or even closed as you breathe in. This will hamper your breathing for ten seconds or longer. Limited breathing can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood and create a buildup of carbon dioxide.

Your brain will sense the impaired breathing and wake you from your sleep briefly so your airways will reopen. This waking is brief and you are not likely to recognize it or remember that it has happened.

You may awaken with shortness of breath that will be quickly corrected with one or two deep breaths. You might have gasping, choking, or snorting sounds.

The pattern of waking can repeat itself anywhere from five to thirty times an hour, all through the night. These waking moments will disrupt your sleep and not allow you to get the deep, restful periods of sleep that your body and mind need. This can leave you feeling drowsy during your waking hours.

People who have obstructive sleep apnea may not be aware of their condition. Many people who struggle with this kind of sleep apnea will not realize they are not sleeping well.

There are many symptoms of sleep apnea but these four are probably the most notable symptoms:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping for air while sleeping
• Episodes when you stop breathing while asleep, usually observed by another person
• Waking with a dry mouth

Obstructive sleep apnea is not something that goes away on its own. It is a chronic condition that tends to stay with someone throughout life. The physical characteristics that cause this tend not to change over time.

Central sleep apnea differs from obstructive sleep apnea in that the person stops breathing while they sleep. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn’t send the correct signals to the muscles that control breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by airway obstruction related to the muscles working improperly and causing an obstruction to breathing. Central sleep apnea is much less common.

There are four significant indicators that you have sleep apnea.

1. You snore, snort, or gasp in your sleep, sometimes called noisy sleeping. This is a warning sign that the upper airway has been obstructed. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but they are often closely linked. When snoring becomes louder, the risk of sleep apnea becomes greater. If you have sleep apnea, your partner may notice that you have snores that are associated with pauses in breathing. The pauses in breathing are apnea episodes and can happen hundreds of times a night.
2. People with sleep apnea will often be restless at night, tossing and turning. If you thrash about, kick, jerk, or wake under a twisted pile of sheets and blankets, apnea might be the cause. Struggling to breathe will disrupt your sleep.
3. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you will feel tired all day. You may nod off while reading, at a stoplight in the car, or watching TV. You are likely to be irritable or moody and not as productive as you want to be. You may catch colds more often than others when you aren’t getting good sleep. There are many spillover effects from sleep apnea.
4. You fit the profile of someone at risk of sleep apnea. Men are more likely than women to have sleep apnea. The risk increases for post-menopausal women. Being overweight is another sign that you are dealing with sleep apnea.

OmniLife Wellness can help you deal with sleep apnea. We have the tools and medical staff that can diagnose and treat this condition. Call us or use our online booking system to find out how we can help. For more information, call us today or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 8380 Warren Pkwy #100 Frisco TX 75034. We serve clients from Frisco TX, Allen TX, Prosper TX, Addison TX, Plano TX, and Colony TX.