Sleep Apnea Symptoms

There are several sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is characterized by temporary disruptions in breathing while asleep. These symptoms range from mild throat irritations to severe and chronic problems that can impair a person's ability to function during the daytime. The type of symptoms to look for will greatly depend on the age of the person and their physical condition.

Sleep apnea symptoms for children under five years of age can easily be confused with the normal restlessness experienced by young children. For example, difficulties staying asleep at night, snoring, breathing through their mouth, sweating and tossing and turning can all be symptoms of sleep apnea in children under the age of five. Parents who notice these symptoms in their young children should talk to their pediatrician about sleep apnea.

Parents with children over the age of five should look for a slightly different set of sleep apnea symptoms. Older children who have sleep apnea usually manifest their symptoms during the day. For example they may be having trouble functioning in school, they may be displaying behavior problems at school and at home, and they may seem to have a short attention span. Sleep apnea can even impair a child's ability to grow and develop normally, making them seem smaller than their peers. At night the symptoms of sleep apnea may manifest as snoring and possibly even wetting the bed. If a parent notices that their older child has some, or all of these symptoms, they should talk with their pediatrician for a consultation on the possibilities that their child may have sleep apnea.

In adults sleep apnea symptoms are slightly more pronounced. The two most common symptoms of sleep apnea in adults are snoring loudly and persistent and severe daytime sleepiness. In addition to these two common symptoms adults may also notice that they, or their sleep partner, stop breathing while they sleep, toss and turn frequently throughout the night, can't seem to get comfortable at night, wake up frequently choking or gasping for air, have to get up several times in the night to go to the bathroom, regularly experience chest pain and sweat profusely while they are sleeping. During the day, symptoms of sleep apnea in adults can also manifest as mental impairment, emotional impairments, headaches in the morning and at night, heart burn, and swelling in the legs.