Obstructive sleep apnea, which causes a person to wake in the night due to obstruction of his or her breathing, can be recognized by a variety of symptoms. The most common is feeling tired and sleepy during the day, which in turn can lead to a wide range of other issues. Sufferers may experience mental or emotional difficulties due to their condition. There are also physical symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea; some of them are relatively minor, but there are others that can be severe and potentially dangerous.
People with obstructive sleep apnea do not get a full, uninterrupted night's sleep and are therefore typically drowsy the next day. They wake feeling unrefreshed and often have a hard time staying awake throughout the day. They may even fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as at school or at work. Many will feel the need to take naps during the day to compensate for the sleep they are missing.
Despite its effect of making sufferers feel sleepy during the day, another of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea is insomnia. Patients wake briefly each time their breathing stops, and it often keeps them from reaching a state of deep sleep. These interruptions can in turn make them restless, tossing and turning throughout the night. They might find themselves getting up often to use the bathroom or just lying awake unable to fall back asleep.
There are several cognitive issues that can be symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, which are typically thought to be due to the lack of sleep it causes. Sufferers may feel depressed, irritable, and may display changes to their personalities. They can have difficulty remembering things. The ability to concentrate is often severely impaired by sleepiness, which at best can make completing tasks difficult and at worst can become hazardous. Patients may put themselves or others at risk by doing things such as operating heavy machinery or driving while exhausted.
Physical symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea often accompany the mental and emotional effects. Many people experience headaches, particularly in the morning. A large number of patients develop high blood pressure if the apnea is not treated, as the decrease in oxygen puts stress on the circulatory system. This also puts them at higher risk for issues with their hearts, such as abnormal rhythms, congestive heart failure, and even sudden cardiac arrest.