Do you feel tired throughout the day, no matter how much sleep you get at night? If so, you may have sleep apnea. Fatigue is just one of many common symptoms of sleep apnea that you may experience in your lifetime. If you have suffered from one or more of these warning signs, you may want to consider going through sleep apnea testing. Here are some of the symptoms you can be watching out for.
Low Energy And Tiredness, Even After A Good Night Of Sleep
The most common sign of sleep apnea we see in our Southeast Michigan dentist office is having a lack of energy or feeling tired throughout the day. If you wake up and already feel exhausted, it may be because your body isn’t actually resting while you sleep. Sleep apnea and other forms of sleep-disordered breathing will cause your body to partially wake up during the night to kick start your breathing. This could happen once an hour or even once a minute, depending on your sleeping position and the severity of your sleep apnea. You may not remember waking up, but your body does – and it is going to feel completely warn out after doing that for an extended period of time.
Morning Headaches
Another common symptom of sleep apnea is the experience of morning headaches. When you fall asleep and your throat muscles relax, they block the airway that allows oxygen to flow into your blood stream. This, combined with the lack of healthy rest, can cause you to get headaches or intense migraines when you first wake up. Some of our patients in Michigan report experiencing headaches all day long as a result of their sleep apnea. Luckily, they are able to see significant improvements in those headaches (or complete relief!) with professional sleep apnea treatment.
Coughing, Gasping, Or Choking At Night
If the blockage caused by sleep apnea is severe enough, it can cause you to gasp, choke, or cough throughout the night as your body tries to adjust. Some patients even experience mild to moderate panic attacks because of the choking. Persistent nighttime coughing can also be a sign of other medical problems – some as simple as allergies. If you experience this problem enough to prevent you from sleeping or make you fear going to sleep, you should consult your primary care physician or your dentist about treatment options.
Frequent Urination At Night
Going to the bathroom multiple times at night may not just be the result of an overactive bladder or drinking too much. When your body goes into a deep sleep, your brain does not respond to urination signals as quickly as it does during the day. This is the time that your body is supposed to be resting. Interruptions from using the bathroom would disrupt that. If you never fall into deep sleep though, your body is going to be more aware of your need to use the restroom. Thus you may end up making frequent trips to the bathroom because your body simply cannot ignore itself.
When To Seek Help
When should you get tested for sleep apnea? That is entirely up to you. One or two restless nights may not be anything to worry about, but consistent fatigue and nighttime choking could be a side that you need sleep apnea treatment. Get tested, get relief, and get back to a happy state in life. It’s as simple as that.
To speak with a trusted Michigan family dentist about sleep apnea treatment, contact Clinton Dental Center today.
