It's difficult to diagnose without help if you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Maybe you've heard the joke about a husband insisting he does not have a snoring problem when he tries to tell his wife, "I'm positive I don't snore because I stayed awake all last night and I didn't snore even once."

One of the best ways to find out out if you are experiencing obstructive sleep apnea requiring a sleep apnea study is to have your sleeping mate, family member, or friend observe you while you sleep. A person who has sleep apnea loudly snores, they constantly fight for air, and experience pauses in their breathing cycles.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your body is deprived of oxygen for a few seconds to a minute or so, and the worst part of it is you don't get the REM (deep sleep) your body needs so you can get adequate rest.

If no one can watch you as you sleep, look for these common indicators; waking up in a sweat, being continuously sleepy, impotence, and being depressed. Basically, obstructive sleep apnea can really be detrimental to your health!

Once you have a sneaky suspicion that you're falling asleep at every blockbuster matinee before the movie even begins because you're not getting quality sleep, run to your doctor! Obviously, your doctor can ultimately determine if you should have a sleep apnea study.

While undergoing a sleep study, technicians can monitor your body and look for signs of interrupted sleep, and physicians can figure out how critical your sleep apnea is.

If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea your doctor may suggest you use a CPAP machine, which stands for "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure." The CPAP provides a continuous stream of compressed air with the air pressure dialed in at your desired level by your physician.

It is reported that many patients have returned to a normal sleeping pattern during the first night, making the CPAP an excellent choice in effectively treating obstructive sleep apnea.

Orlando Gutierrez

Dr. Rondeau in the 3rd part of a 3 part series on newest advances in treating and curing sleep apnea and snoring

Deciding if you need sleep apnea treatment depends on many factors. Do you wake up in the middle of the night? Do you feel tired and dragging during the day even though you've had a full night's sleep? Do you snore so bad you keep your bedmate or even your housemates up at night? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a serious condition called sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is simply a disorder that causes you to stop breathing in the middle of the night, sometimes for up to a minute. Eventually, you wake up, begin breathing again, and go back to sleep; often you don't even remember waking up at all.

If you wake up all night long, why is sleep apnea so dangerous? The most obvious reason is that sometimes people don't wake up. If you are in a very deep sleep, your body may not realize what's going on and you'll suffocate to death. This occurrence is similar to SIDs in babies.

The other danger of apnea is sleep deprivation. Humans experience various stages of sleep; each stage rebuilds and rests a different part of the brain or body. If you don't receive the appropriate amount of each stage of sleep, it can cause serious problems. Constant waking
Loss Weight By Doing Nothing

up during the night, even if you don't remember it, can reset your sleep cycle. This means you get less of the later stages of sleep, and be sleep deprived even if you're getting a full eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation, along with physical impairments, can decrease your speech functioning, reasoning skills, and other brain functions. This increases your likelihood for having car accidents and other accidents which could be dangerous.

While you may be able to determine if you have sleep apnea through your partner monitoring your breathing, or by using a tape recorder, the best way to know is to pay a visit to your doctor. If they think your fears are warranted, they will recommend you participate in a sleep study. You will be required to sleep at the study site for a night. There they will attach you to various types of equipment, and monitor your sleep and breathing patterns. Most people find sleep studies annoying and uncomfortable, but they are an important part of proper diagnosis. Symptoms of sleep apnea can be mimicked by other disorders, like restless legs syndrome. Getting diagnosed properly will enable you to receive the proper sleep apnea treatment which will, at the very least make you feel better; and at most, save your life.

Once properly diagnosed, your doctor will recommend treatment depending on the type and severity of your condition. Mild apnea can often be treated by modifying your diet and sleeping habits. You may also be required to sleep with equipment like a specialized pillow or a device for your mouth. In more severe cases, you may require medicine or even surgery. Your doctor may also recommend you try more than one of these treatments to get the best results.

It is important to note that most cases of apnea are easily and effectively treated. Once your apnea is under control you'll likely feel more energized, have improved mental capabilities, become less prone to sickness, and even lose weight. With the proper sleep apnea treatment, you too can enjoy the benefits of a good night's sleep.

Jeff Wilson