Eventually, your slumbering brain recognizes the problem and is awakened long enough for your throat to open and your breathing to recover with a snort or gasp. Your bed partner may hear you struggle for breath, but you're probably unaware that anything was wrong. Someone who's having this problem throughout the night may be having 200 to 500 apneas every time they sleep, according to Dr. Galgon. When you have these continual awakenings, your brain can't get the kind of deep sleep it needs. The next day, you feel really tired and sleepy.
Daytime sleepiness is only one consequence of sleep apnea.
Years of this nightly strain and struggle may damage your heart, contribute to high blood pressure, increase the risk of stroke, and even lead to premature death. Most are middle-aged or elderly men. Many have a long history of snoring. Frequently, the men who snore and have apnea are those who are overweight, according to Dr. Galgon. Snoring often develops into full-blown apnea.