Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Early Warning Signs (2024)

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person experiences pauses in their breathing during sleep. These pauses last 10 seconds or longer, and can occur repeatedly throughout the night.

This irregular breathing and lack of oxygen leads to a range of symptoms from snoring to daytime sleepiness to depression. It also puts a person at higher risk for other health complications like hypertension, stroke, eye disorders, and even death.

This article discusses the symptoms and risk factors for sleep apnea.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

A person with sleep apnea can have up to hundreds of breathing pauses during sleep.

During these pauses, the heart rate drops and the body is deprived of oxygen. Then, the body's startle reflex awakens the person, which often sounds like a gasp or loud snore. This causes the heart rate and blood pressure to rise quickly.

This process is stressful on the body. In addition to interrupted sleep, over time this can lead to blood vessel wall thickening, arrhythmias, and heart dysfunction.

There are different types of sleep apnea, including:

• Obstructive sleep apnea: This is the most common type, where there is a complete or partial upper airway physical blockage during sleep, leading to sleep apnea episodes.
• Central sleep apnea: In this type, the brainstem does not correctly trigger the body to breathe. Although there is no physical blockage, the person still experiences sleep apnea episodes. This is more frequently reported as insomnia or nighttime awakening.
• Complex sleep apnea: Also called treatment-emergent sleep apnea, this type develops when a person with obstructive sleep apnea goes on to develop central sleep apnea as a result of a treatment therapy known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Symptoms

Both acute and chronic impacts of sleep apnea lead to a variety of symptoms. People who have greater than 30 breathing pauses per hour are at a higher risk of developing chronic symptoms.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Snoring
• Witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep
• Daytime tiredness
• Frequently waking up at night, including sudden awakening with gasping or choking
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Teeth grinding
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent need to urinate at night
• Heart palpitations or racing heart, particularly at night

Early Warning Signs

Because the person with sleep apnea is asleep when their breathing interruption occurs, it can be challenging for them to identify it.

Therefore, for most people with sleep apnea, the earliest warning sign they notice is increased daytime sleepiness. They may notice this because it's affecting their:

• Mood
• Attention span
• Ability to concentrate
• Performance at work
• Interpersonal relationships

Bed sleeping partners and family members should also be aware of sleep apnea warning signs. Loud, chronic snoring is an early warning sign of sleep apnea, although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

Pauses in breathing, gasping or choking episodes during sleep, and sudden awakening are other warning signs to look out for.

Risks Factors

There are some well-known risk factors for developing sleep apnea. Some of these are modifiable, meaning you can change them. Others are non-modifiable, meaning you were possibly born with the risk factor (such as biological sex) or are unable to change it (such as age).

Non-modifiable sleep apnea risk factors include:

• Older age
• Being assigned male at birth
• Being Black, Hispanic, or Native American
• Family history of sleep apnea
• Certain genes that affect obesity, inflammation, and structure of the face and skull
• Larger neck size

Modifiable sleep apnea risk factors include:

• Obesity
• Alcohol intake
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Unhealthy eating patterns

When to See a Doctor

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health consequences including:

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Heart failure
• Diabetes
• Enlarged heart
• Heart attack

Sleep apnea can also be fatal. Therefore, it's essential to seek diagnosis and treatment if you think you might have sleep apnea.

If you notice any symptoms or early warning signs of sleep apnea, talk to your healthcare provider. For example, if your sleeping partner notices you loudly snoring or gasping in your sleep, mention this to your provider.

Summary

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that is most likely to affect older men with obesity, but can occur in anyone, including women, children, and babies. Symptoms result from the impact of interrupted breathing during sleep. These include snoring, choking or gasping, insomnia, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and more.

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health complications, so it's important to identify symptoms early and communicate them to your healthcare provider.

There are many effective treatments for sleep apnea, including manageable lifestyle changes. Be sure to contact your healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms of sleep apnea.