The signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apnoea overlap, sometimes making the type of sleep apnoea more difficult to determine. The most common signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apnoea include:
- Loud snoring, which is possible in case of obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Breathing cessation during sleep, witnessed by person sleeping next to you.
- Abrupt awakening due to extreme shortness of breathing, which clearly indicates you are suffering from central sleep apnoea
- Difficulty in falling asleep known as insomnia
- Dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up
- Headache in the morning
- Feeling extreme sleepiness during daytime known as hypersomnia
- Irritation
- Attention problems
When to visit a doctor
Visit or consult a doctor immediately, if you experience the following problems:
- Snoring extreme loud and disturbing the other person sleeping next to you.
- Breathing problem, due to shortness of breath you tend to awake from your sleep.
- Pauses while breathing during your sleep.
- Extreme drowsiness during daytime, which causes the person to fall asleep anytime anywhere, while working, watching, television or even while driving.
- Many a times people don’t think snoring as a sign of something serious and not every other person who suffers from sleep apnoea snores. Be sure to consult a doctor if you experience loud snoring accompanied by periods of silence.
- Consult with your doctor about any sleep problem you have- chronically fatigued, irritable and sleepy. Hypersomnia or excessive daytime drowsiness is due to sleep apnoea or other disorders like narcolepsy.