Two of the most common complaints I hear from patients are insomnia and fatigue. It should be no surprise that poor sleep causes fatigue. But often such sufferers turn out to have a much more serious condition: sleep apnea.
The word "apnea" literally means "not breathing." People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing for periods of time during sleep. As their oxygen levels fall and carbon dioxide levels rise, their brain eventually becomes aroused enough to wake them up, and they start breathing again. The cycle repeats over and over again throughout the night, resulting in constant interruptions in sleep and feeling tired all day long.
This is actually a life-threatening condition. The most immediate risk is falling asleep while driving or doing something else that requires sharp mental attention. Sleep apnea also raises blood pressure throughout the body and in the lungs. Over time, that causes thickening of the lung tissues and permanent lung disease. The elevated blood pressure is also a risk factor for multiple other health problems, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease.
The most common cause of sleep apnea is being overweight. Alcohol and sedating medications (both over-the-counter and prescription) also contribute to sleep apnea. Sometimes the cause is a neurological condition.
Here are some of the warning signs of sleep apnea:
- Snoring. Many, but not all people who snore have sleep apnea.
- Pauses in breathing. Ask someone with whom you share a bedroom, or record yourself sleeping. Pauses often last 2-10 seconds, but they can be even longer.
- Frequent awakening. Do you startle yourself awake in the middle of the night, perhaps gasping for air? It may seem like you snored so loudly you woke yourself up, but it's really due to that pause in your breathing.
- Unrefreshing sleep. People with sleep apnea still feel tired in the morning because they didn't get much sleep overnight.
- Daytime sleepiness. If you're so tired during the day that you nearly fall asleep while driving or doing other things that require concentration, sleep apnea is a likely cause.
- Headaches. The low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels overnight, combined with inadequate sleep, can cause severe headaches, especially first thing in the morning.
If any of these symptoms describe you, I urge you to see your doctor. You might need an overnight sleep study, in which you spend a night in a monitored room where your breathing, heart activity, and brain waves are recorded. If you do have sleep apnea, there are ways to treat it, and you'll feel better and live longer once it's under control.