Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
- Very loud snoring
- Episodes of long pauses of interrupted breathing during sleep
- Possibly struggling, snorting, gasping, choking, and partially or completely awakening in an attempt to restart breathing
- Disturbed rest
- Daytime sleepiness
- Problems staying alert or paying attention
- Irritability
- Poor memory
- Difficulty learning
- Decreased energy
- Headache
- Sexual problems
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Weight gain
- Hyperactivity in children
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease and heart attack
- Stroke
- Confusion
- Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies
References
Being evaluated for sleep apnea. American Sleep Apnea Association website. Available at: http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/evaluated.html . Published May 2005. Accessed September 17, 2008.
Cecil R, Goldman L, Benett JC. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2000.
Fact sheet: could my child have sleep apnea? American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Could-Child-Have-Sleep-Apnea.cfm . Accessed September 17, 2008.
NINDS sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep%5Fapnea/sleep%5Fapnea.htm . Updated June 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
What is sleep apnea? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea%5FWhatIs.html . Updated February 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.