Why You’re Always Tired: Hidden Signs of Sleep Apnea

Constant fatigue isn’t healthy, nor is it normal. While everyone has rough nights and sleepy days, they should be occasional and not a constant companion. 

When you have persistent daytime drowsiness with no obvious explanation, you might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder of which you might not be aware. 

At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC in Monroe, New Jersey, it’s our business to uncover OSA and help you get the restful sleep you need. Knowing the hidden signs is the first step. Pursuing treatment with us is the next.

What is sleep apnea? 

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by breathing challenges that occur while sleeping, when your body changes normal sleep patterns and you wake up and restart breathing. You may not wake up enough to know the event has occurred, and it can happen dozens of times a night. 

OSA is the most common form of the condition, caused by the collapse of soft tissue in the airways, the same problem that causes snoring. While snoring doesn’t necessarily mean you have OSA, those with this condition often snore loudly. 

How OSA is usually detected

Most often, OSA is detected by sleep partners. Chronic loud snoring on your part may first disrupt their ability to sleep. They could also notice when your breathing pauses or stops, usually accompanied by choked sounds, gasping, or snorts as your body struggles for air. 

The hidden signs of sleep apnea

 When you’re on your own, or your sleep partner hasn’t been disturbed, OSA is harder to recognize. Here are some of the more common hidden signs you might notice: 

• Morning headaches: resulting from disrupted levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen caused by breathing difficulty
• Daytime fatigue: this can go beyond mere sleepiness, resulting in nodding off that’s uncontrollable in quiet moments
• Inability to concentrate: attention, focus, memory, and mental acuity may all be affected by OSA
• Mood changes: when you don’t feel like yourself because of anxiety, irritability, or short-temperedness
• Dry mouth and sore throat: OSA forces mouth breathing, which can leave you feeling parched, dry, and sore

Consider contacting our office when you notice that daytime tiredness seems disconnected from the amount of sleep you regularly get, or your partner observes sleep disruptions. 

These observations combined with risk factors such as age, obesity, and family history could be the clues you need to pursue treatment for OSA.

At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, we offer home sleep testing and OSA treatment apparatus, including CPAP and mouthguards to optimize jaw position during sleep. Call or click to book a consultation with Dr. Andrew Freedman and his team today.