The biggest telltale sign is how you feel during the day. So how do you tell the difference between normal snoring and a more serious case of sleep apnea? Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores.

Going to the bathroom frequently during the night.

Waking up at night feeling short of breath.

Restless sleep, nighttime awakenings, or insomnia.

Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat.

Daytime sleepiness and fatigue, no matter how much time you spend in bed.

Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep.

If pauses occur while you snore, and if choking or gasping follows the pauses, these are major sleep apnea warning signs. It can be tough to identify sleep apnea on your own, since the most prominent symptoms only occur when you’re asleep.īut you can get around this difficulty by asking a bed partner to observe your sleep habits, or by recording yourself during sleep.

In central sleep apnea, you may be conscious of your awakenings. Most of the time, you’ll stir just enough to tighten your throat muscles and open your windpipe. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you probably won’t remember these awakenings. Your brain responds by briefly disturbing your sleep enough to kick start breathing-which often resumes with a gasp or a choking sound. People with central sleep apnea seldom snore.Ĭomplex or mixed sleep apnea is a rare combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.Īs airflow stops during a sleep apnea episode, the oxygen level in your blood drops. It is often caused by an underlying health condition. It occurs when the brain temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing. This usually causes loud snoring and interrupted breathing.Ĭentral sleep apnea is a much less common type of sleep apnea that involves the central nervous system. It occurs when the muscles that support the soft tissues in the upper airway relax during sleep and block the normal flow of air in and out of the nose and mouth. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea (and is the primary focus of this article). If you or your bed partner suspect sleep apnea, talk to your doctor without delay.

Sleep apnea can also cause many health problems-in some cases deadly. But these disruptions to your natural sleep rhythm mean that you spend more time in light sleep and less in the deep, restorative sleep you need to be energetic, mentally sharp, and productive the next day. The lack of oxygen during a sleep apnea episode jolts you awake-usually so briefly that you don’t remember it. These breathing pauses typically last between 10 to 20 seconds and can happen from 5 to over 100 times per hour. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which your breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep. Sleep Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Remedies Loud snoring-especially when accompanied by daytime sleepiness or fatigue-may be a sign of sleep apnea, a common but serious disorder that impacts breathing.

Time up in the air