Could These Things Mean You Have Sleep Apnea?


Could These Things Mean You Have Sleep Apnea?

By Wright Smiles

If you sleep with a partner, then you might not suffer from sleep apnea for very long before they draw attention to it. One of the sleep disorder’s signature symptoms is the increasingly loud snoring that precedes the obstruction of your airway. However, snoring isn’t the only sign that you might have sleep apnea, and if your partner is an especially heavy sleeper, then you might notice several other signs that warn you of it. If you do, then schedule a consultation at our Southlake, TX, dental office as soon as possible to determine if you can benefit custom sleep apnea treatment.

You snore really loudly every night

Sleep apnea, or OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), describes a condition where your mouth and/or throat tissues collapse into and gradually obstruct your airway while you sleep. Before the tissues completely obstruct your airway, however, they cause you to snore, and the noise grows louder as the space in your airway grows smaller. The snoring will stop completely once you stop breathing, but will continue again after your body wakes up, clears your airway, and the cycle repeats itself.

You get tired faster every day

The fact that you snore loudly might not seem like such a big issue, but the fact that sleep apnea causes you to repeatedly stop breathing definitely is. After a few moments, your body panics and wakes up just enough to clear your airway and start receiving oxygen again. While you might notice the interruptions, they make it impossible for your brain and body to enter rapid eye movement (R.E.M.), which is the deep sleep they need to rest properly. The longer sleep apnea continues untreated, the more rest you’ll lose, and fatigue will come faster every day.

You get irritated easier

Losing sleep can affect every aspect of your life, including your mental health and wellbeing. For example, unusually high irritability and mood swings become more common the more sleep deprived you are, which can negatively impact your professional, personal, family, and social lives. Getting enough rest is essential to maintaining optimal brain and physical health, and if you have sleep apnea, then treating it as soon as possible is the only way to achieve that rest.

Find out if you need sleep apnea treatment

There are many potential signs of sleep apnea besides loud snoring, and addressing them as soon as possible could mean a world of difference for your quality of sleep. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Gregory Wright, DDS in Southlake, TX today at (817) 481-7999. We also proudly serve patients who live in Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and all surrounding communities.