People don’t always notice when they have sleep apnea. In fact, oftentimes it is the spouse that first notices irregular sleep patterns at night. Snoring is the most well-known (and annoying) sign of sleep apnea, but it is far from the only one. Here are some signs your spouse may have sleep apnea so you know what to look out for.
Snoring
As we mentioned, snoring is the most common sign of sleep apnea. When a person has sleep apnea, his airway gets blocked by his tongue at night. This will trigger the snoring, and it will also prevent your partner from getting a good night of sleep. There are many other causes of snoring though, like improper sinus drainage. Thus snoring is not a definitive sign of sleep apnea, but it is something to watch out for.
Tossing And Turning At Night
Do you feel like you never get good sleep because your spouse is constantly moving around in bed? This could be a result of sleep apnea. Every time your spouse’s airway gets blocked, his body is going to force itself to breathe. This could happen several times an hour, or even several times a minute. Your partner probably does not realize how much he is moving at night, or that he’s moving at all. If the tossing and turning is consistent, you may talk to your partner about getting a sleep study.
Grogginess And Irritability
If your spouse seems groggy, tired or irritable throughout the day, it may be because of sleep apnea. Your brain uses sleep to catch up on all the work it didn’t get accomplished throughout the day. If your spouse is missing out on that, he may feel fatigued, confused, and easily agitated. A lot of couples experience marital troubles as a result of sleep apnea because one spouse is constantly on edge. With proper treatment, that irritability will go away on its own.
Not Breathing
Sleep apnea ranges in severity, so you may not always notice when your spouse stops breathing. For some people though, this pause is very noticeable. It may be proceeded by a loud crescendo of snoring that abruptly stops when the person stops breathing. Some people go through a vioent jolt when they stop breathing because their body is trying to revitalize itself. Once again, sleep apnea treatment will eliminate all of this so you and your spouse can both sleep soundly at night.
Contact Clinton Dental Center to schedule a sleep apnea evaluation for you or your spouse.
