•Waking up in a sweat during the night
• Feeling unrefreshed in the morning after a night’s sleep
• Headaches, sore throat, or dry mouth in the mornings after waking up
• Daytime sleepiness, including falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as during driving or at work
• Lethargy
• Rapid weight gain
• Memory loss and learning difficulties
• Short attention span
• Poor judgment
• Depression
• Personality changesHow can I get diagnosed for sleep apnea?
Before you visit a doctor for a possible diagnosis of sleep apnea, ask your spouse or sleeping partner to keep a sleep diary for you. Your bed partner very likely wakes up frequently because of your sleep problems, so keeping a record of awakenings can be a constructive way to move toward solution of your sleep disorder.
An assiduous bed partner can keep a notepad, a pen, and a flashlight near the bed, and can make written records for an entire night every so often. Thus, whenever your bed partner wakes up, they can note
• how loud your snoring is,
• whether you are asleep or not, and
• whether you are having trouble breathing (that is, choking or gasping).
But if you don’t have someone to record your sleep patterns, you can use a tape recorder yourself.
Also you can automatically audiotape yourself during sleep with a sound-activated audio recorder or a software program that turns your computer into a sound-activated recorder.
And if you don’t have access to recording equipment, it may be worthwhile to ask a friend or loved one to monitor your sleep pattern for a few nights, or visit a sleep center for observation.
With your sleep record in hand, consult a knowledgeable doctor or a sleep specialist.
For diagnosing sleep apnea, the doctor or specialist will:
• perform a physical examination of your mouth and nose to look for obstructions,
• possibly do an endoscopy of your nose and throat, and x-rays or a CT scan of the head and neck, and
• recommend an overnight sleep study in a sleep clinic.
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