Sleep apnea, a serious and common sleep disorder, is a condition that causes people to experience troubled breathing while they are asleep. Unfortunately, it can affect a person at any age, and the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea vary across different age groups. Let’s look at the common signs of this sleep disorder:
Indications of sleep apnea in adults
Given below is a list of the most common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea in adults. If one is experiencing more than a few symptoms listed here, there’s a fair chance that they are suffering from sleep apnea. So, it’s advisable to consult a doctor if one notices any of these symptoms:
- Snoring loudly or stopping breathing abruptly while asleep, which is pointed out by the person who sleeps next to the patient
- Waking up at night feeling choked or gasping for breath
- Waking up several times at night to urinate
- Feeling breathless at night, which wakes them up from deep slumber
- Frequently experiencing a sore throat or dry mouth while sleeping
- Experiencing a headache after waking up in the morning
- Experiencing a lot of mood swings
- Inability to get a good night’s sleep
- Sleeping excessively during the day
- Facing attention or concentration issues
- Getting forgetful and being constantly irritated
- Experiencing low libido
Additionally, a person should visit a doctor if they have more than a few risk factors that make them susceptible to developing sleep apnea, like obesity, smoking, or excessive alcohol consumption.
Signs of sleep apnea in children
A study by Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that approximately 10-20% of kids who snore in their slumber are affected by sleep apnea. On the whole, 3% of children across the world have this disorder. Usually, the symptoms of sleep apnea are the same in children as those of ADHD. Some common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea are:
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor performance at school
Early warning signs in children
Some warning signs and symptoms of sleep apnea in children are:
- Bedwetting
- Snoring
- Breathing from the mouth instead of the nose
- Sleeping during the day
- Breathing pauses while in slumber
Warning symptoms of sleep apnea in toddlers
A few warning signs of sleep apnea in toddlers are:
- Choking
- Coughing
- Restlessness
- Snoring
- Profuse sweating
- Troubled breathing
- Breathing pauses while in slumber
Also, one may notice a few symptoms when children are wide-awake as well. These signs include:
- Getting constantly frustrated, cranky, or irritated
- Sleeping excessively during the day
- Having adenoid or tonsils
- Slower growth in terms of weight and height
If one notices these signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, they must consult a doctor immediately. If the sleep disorder is left untreated, it can lead to complications like heart disease or type 2 diabetes. In severe cases, it might also increase a person’s susceptibility to heart attack and stroke, but taking proactive measures in the early stages can prove helpful in preventing this.
