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Can You Have Sleep Apnea Without Snoring/

Sleep apnea can be a terrible disease. Having one’s sleep schedule disrupted can create a whole host of negative consequences, like depression, increased blood pressure, and even an increased risk of dementia. Sleep is simply essential to one’s overall health, and sleep apnea can be a terrible culprit of worsened sleep. One of the tell-tale signs of sleep apnea is loud snoring. However, if you are still feeling unrested upon awakening, and do not snore while you sleep, sleep apnea could still be affecting you.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder, which can potentially be quite serious. Sleep apnea is characterized by the breath stopping and starting throughout the night. If you think that you slept the whole night through, but you notice that you do not have as much energy as you might, then sleep apnea may be affecting you. There are a few different types of sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by obvious snoring. The snoring is caused by the throat muscles relaxing a little too much, alcohol consumption, or laying on one’s back.

Central sleep apnea is the result of the brain not sending the proper signals to tell the body to breathe while sleeping. Central sleep apnea is similar to obstructive sleep apnea in that in both cases the body stops breathing, but the cause in this case, is the brain not sending the right signals.

Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a combination of both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.

Though the most common symptoms of sleep apnea are fatigue during the day and snoring during the night, there are some other important symptoms to keep an eye out for:

• Periods in which you do not breathe while sleeping
• You find yourself gasping for air while sleeping
• Awakening with a dry mouth
• Morning headache
• Trouble falling and staying asleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

If you find yourself snoring a lot - or your partner or family member tells you that you are - then you should see your dentist. Snoring on its own is not a serious cause for concern, but if it is a recurring occurrence, then you should see your dentist because it might signal a larger problem. However, just because you are not snoring does not mean that you do not have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can present itself with a variety of symptoms, like some that we just described.

Sleep is essential to your well-being. Do not let a poor sleep schedule go ignored. Repeatedly getting bad sleep, week after month after year, can result in serious long-term health issues. If any of the symptoms described sound like something you are dealing with, go see Dr. Liberman at Great Neck Dental Care. She and her team can help you locate the problem and find a solution that works for you. Dr. Liberman happily serves all patients in the Great Neck and Nassau County area.