| By :
George Hutton
There is no shortage of illnesses and maladies that can mess up an otherwise healthy and happy life. Most of these clearly announce their presence through obvious symptoms and signs, while others show up unannounced, and quietly go undetected for months, or even years. Sleep disorders not such conditions. Those that have this condition aren't usually aware of the apnea symptoms that they are experiencing on a daily basis. This is because apnea symptoms are often overlooked as being caused by ordinary, everyday things like stress and pressure at work or at home. You can't treat this if you can't recognize apnea symptoms. The danger of not getting a decent night's rest is that it can lead a whole host of other problems, including high blood pressure and all the health problems associated with a lack of proper rest. Driving while drowsy is a leading cause of automobile accidents. When you are operating on less than an efficient night's rest, night after night, your work, relationships are affected, and your ability deal with the stresses of everyday life is greatly reduced. Since you've already read this far, chances are you may suspect you, or somebody close to you is suffering from this condition. How can you tell if you've got it? It doesn't help much to go to your doctor without any list of symptoms, so it's best to collect as much information as you can. One obvious sign is the sounds you make while sleeping. There is an obvious silence when your breathing stops momentarily. If you can record yourself sleeping, and play the recording for your doctor, that would be ideal. Others have found that having a partner or spouse listen to them while they sleep, and then describe it to their doctor works just as well. Another indication of apnea symptoms is how you feel during the day when you are bored. If you only get bored, you're probably getting enough sleep at night. On the other hand, if you could feel you could fall sleep in a few seconds the minute you become bored, this may be a sign of apnea. Additionally, keeping a sleep journal is a great way to record information about how you sleep, and how often you wake up when you sleep. If you have headaches when you wake up, or if you wake up frequently during the night to urinate, or anything else you notice out of the ordinary associated with sleep is something you should write in your sleep journal. The more information you collect, the better. Because apnea symptoms can sometimes be misinterpreted as being caused by something else, collecting a lot of information can go a long ways in helping your doctor make a proper diagnosis.
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