Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Although the majority of cases go undiagnosed, many patients often recognize some of the symptoms before a physician provides an accurate diagnosis. Some of the most common symptoms associated with this condition include the following.

  • Waking up with a choking sensation or gasping for air: This occurs when the airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep, causing interruptions in breathing and a sensation of choking or gasping.
  • Insomnia or waking constantly throughout the night: Sleep apnea leads to frequent awakenings due to breathing disruptions, preventing restful, uninterrupted sleep.
  • Excessive daytime fatigue: Due to poor-quality sleep from interruptions in breathing, the body doesn’t achieve restorative rest, leading to overwhelming tiredness during the day.
  • Irritability and sudden mood changes: Sleep deprivation caused by repeated awakenings at night can affect emotional regulation, leading to irritability and mood swings.
  • Difficulty concentrating: Interrupted sleep and low oxygen levels during the night can impair cognitive function, making it hard to focus or think clearly during the day.
  • Morning headaches: The lack of oxygen during sleep caused by sleep apnea can lead to morning headaches due to blood vessel constriction in the brain.
  • Weight gain: Sleep deprivation and hormonal imbalances caused by sleep apnea can increase hunger and cravings, contributing to weight gain.
  • Frequent urination at night: The body may increase urine production as a response to low oxygen levels and disrupted sleep cycles, leading to frequent nighttime urination.
  • Waking up feeling unrested: Despite spending hours in bed, sleep apnea prevents deep, restorative sleep, leaving individuals feeling tired and unrested upon waking.
  • Falling asleep during the day: Due to poor sleep quality at night, people with sleep apnea often experience excessive sleepiness, leading them to fall asleep during the day.
  • Loss of focus or motivation: Chronic fatigue and the mental fog caused by disrupted sleep cycles make it difficult to stay motivated or focused on tasks throughout the day.
  • Waking up with dry mouth or sore throat: Breathing through the mouth during sleep due to blocked airways can cause a dry mouth or sore throat in the morning.
  • Impotence: Sleep apnea can lower testosterone levels and disrupt hormonal balance, leading to erectile dysfunction or impotence.

Many symptoms or signs of sleep apnea won’t be noticed by you but instead by your sleeping partner. Ask someone to watch you sleep and look for signs of:

  • Loud snoring: Snoring occurs when the airway is partially blocked during sleep, causing turbulent airflow and vibrations in the throat, a common sign of sleep apnea.
  • Choking or gasping: Sleep apnea causes repeated breathing interruptions, which can result in choking or gasping for air as the body struggles to resume normal breathing.
  • Restless sleeping: Frequent awakenings from oxygen deprivation or airway obstruction during sleep lead to restless movements and disrupted sleep patterns.
  • Clenching teeth: Teeth grinding or clenching, often linked to stress and disrupted sleep, can occur as a response to the body’s efforts to reopen the airway during an apnea episode.
  • Stopping breathing: One of the hallmark symptoms of sleep apnea is the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, caused by airway blockage or collapse.

Take our Epworth Sleepiness Scale quiz to find out if you should take a professional sleep test.

Common Misdiagnosis

It’s also common for a doctor to misdiagnose this condition with another issue. Many may overlook sleep apnea, similar to TMJ, and instead diagnose you with one of the following:

  • Diabetes: The fatigue, weight gain, and insulin resistance often associated with breathing problems during sleep can be mistaken for diabetes symptoms, as both conditions affect energy levels and metabolism.
  • GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease): Chronic acid reflux and heartburn symptoms in those with disrupted sleep can be misdiagnosed as GERD, especially since both can worsen while lying down.
  • Low testosterone: Poor sleep quality caused by interrupted breathing at night can lead to decreased testosterone levels, causing symptoms like fatigue and low libido, which are often mistakenly attributed to low testosterone.
  • Hypothyroidism: Fatigue, weight gain, and depression caused by insufficient rest can mimic hypothyroidism symptoms, leading to a misdiagnosis of thyroid dysfunction.
  • Sexual dysfunction: Erectile dysfunction and low libido in men with breathing issues during sleep may be misdiagnosed as isolated sexual dysfunction, overlooking the underlying causes tied to sleep.
  • Depression: Chronic sleep deprivation resulting from poor-quality rest can lead to mood disturbances and symptoms like fatigue and loss of interest, which are often misinterpreted as depression.
  • Alzheimer’s: Cognitive decline, memory loss, and confusion due to poor sleep and oxygen deprivation can be mistakenly diagnosed as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
  • High blood pressure: Breathing interruptions during sleep can contribute to high blood pressure due to intermittent oxygen deprivation, leading to misdiagnosis when blood pressure is the primary concern.
  • Stroke: The risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular strain from untreated sleep disruptions, can lead to a misdiagnosis if the underlying condition is not addressed.

Although you may have one of these conditions, they could indicate a sleep disorder. Treating this issue may help address these conditions or resolve them altogether.

Sleep Apnea Screening

If you experience one or more of the symptoms listed above, you should take our sleep apnea screening quiz or talk to your physician about getting a screening. Our online quiz will tell you if you are at risk for sleep apnea. If you are at risk, we highly recommend that you get tested to receive a diagnosis.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms & Diagnosis

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

To effectively diagnose and treat sleep apnea, a proper diagnosis is essential. The first step is to undergo a sleep test, which can now be conveniently done at home with a device that measures functions such as breathing, heart rate, brain activity, and oxygen saturation. However, not everyone is a suitable candidate for a home test. Individuals with lung disease, central sleep apnea, other sleep conditions, or prior heart failure may require a clinical sleep test conducted in a sleep lab for a more detailed and accurate assessment.

Regardless of where you take the test, a doctor must review the results to provide an official diagnosis of sleep apnea. Afterward, your doctor can collaborate with Dr. Pribyl to determine the best treatment for your condition. In some cases, patients may also be referred to a sleep specialist for further medical evaluation.

In addition to a medical assessment, consulting with your dentist is an important step in diagnosing sleep apnea. Your dentist may perform an intraoral exam, which includes x-rays, intraoral photos, gag reflex checks, orthopedic exams, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. These tests help determine the most effective position for your lower jaw to open your airway. We’ve had success treating sleep apnea with a custom-designed nighttime orthotic appliance that is thinner, lighter, and more comfortable than a traditional CPAP mask. Depending on the severity of your condition, additional repositioning devices may also be considered for optimal treatment.

If you think you might have sleep apnea, don’t let a diagnosis slip between your fingers. Dr. Pribyl can help find the resources to get a sleep apnea diagnosis from the comfort of your home and a sleep apnea treatment that works for your body. Please call (816) 795-1000 today to schedule an appointment with our sleep dentist in Lee’s Summit, MO.