4 signs that you may have sleep apnea

Do you snore loudly? Do you feel excessively tired during the day, despite getting a good night's sleep? If so, you may have sleep apnea. This serious sleep disorder can cause a variety of health problems if left untreated. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Here’s a quick overview about sleep apnea, 4 signs that may indicate you have sleep apnea, and what to do.

Types of sleep apnea are broken down into three main types:

• Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax
• Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
• Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea

Now that you know the types of sleep apnea, how do you know if you have sleep apnea?

Here are 4 commons symptoms of sleep apnea.

1. You snore loudly – if you snore loud enough to wake up your partner, it could be a sign that you have sleep apnea. Not everyone who has sleep apnea snores, but is very common with obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring loudly not only frustrating, but often is cause of break ups and divorce.

2. Excessive daytime sleepiness - If you often feel tired during the day, even though you've slept for eight hours or more you may have sleep apnea. Most people need between 7-9 hours of quality sleep.

3. Morning Headaches - You wake up with a headache or a dry mouth. This is a very common symptom of sleep apnea. Because your airways are partially blocked, reducing amounts of oxygen to your brain resulting in potentially painful morning headaches. Starting your day off poorly can be very difficult to deal with and a barrier to living your life to the fullest.

4. Gasping for air at night or stop breathing- Everyone deserves quality sleep and not breathing throughout the night prevents that. If your partner has complained that you stop breathing at night, it is a great idea to get checked out by a doctor.

What to do if you think you have symptoms of sleep apnea.

If any of these symptoms apply to you, it is important to speak with a doctor about your potential for sleep apnea. Additionally, if left untreated, this disorder can lead to other health problems. So, don't wait - get diagnosed and start treatment.

Most everyone is familiar with using a CPAP machine. It provides you with continuous positive airway pressure therapy is the benchmark for treating obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP treatment often includes using a mask and a tube connect to a motor that blows air in the tube which provides you with continuous positive airway pressure. Because of this constant pressure your throat will not collapse as you’re breathing. This helps you breath more consistently throughout the night allowing you to receive better sleep.

Ways to decrease the severity of sleep apnea.

While there is no 100% cure for sleep apnea, there are ways to decrease the severity of the condition. Here a few tips to improve your sleep and reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.

• Change your sleep position so you're not laying on your back
• Maintain a healthy diet; Losing weight if you’re overweight
• Avoid alcohol before bed
• Trying nasal sprays or allergy medications to relieve congestion
• Try using natural sleep supplements like RAD ZZZ :an all-natural sleep supplement. 
• Quit smoking as soon as possible if you smoke.
• For mild cases, try using a mouthpiece for which can help keep your airways open

If you have mild sleep apnea or just want better sleep every night, try RAD ZZZ, an all-natural sleep supplement formulated by Dr. Radfar, a sleep expert. For more severe cases, consult with your doctor about possible treatments. We hope these tips help you get on the path to better health and improved sleep!