Do you feel very tired throughout the day? There’s a chance you’re suffering from sleep deficiency.
Either you’re not going to bed early enough, or you have a condition like sleep apnea that is making it difficult for you to get the right type of sleep.
Some of the warning signs you’re sleep deficient include feeling like you could nap while going about your day, or stopping to sit quietly for a moment. Sleep deficiency can cause issues with learning, focusing and reacting.
2 types of sleep
Non-REM sleep and REM sleep are the two types of sleep. Here’s what the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says about each of them:
Non-REM sleep
- Stage 1: Light sleep; easily awakened; muscles relax with occasional twitches; eye movements are slow.
- Stage 2: Eye movements stop; slower brain waves, with occasional bursts of rapid brain waves.
- Stage 3: Occurs soon after you fall asleep and mostly in the first half of the night. Deep sleep; difficult to awaken; large slow brain waves, heart and respiratory rates are slow and muscles are relaxed.
REM sleep
- Usually first occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep, and longer, deeper periods occur during the second half of the night; cycles along with the non-REM stages throughout the night.
- Eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids.
- Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are irregular.
- Dreaming occurs.
- Arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common condition in which a person’s breathing stops and restarts many times while they’re sleeping. When this happens, it can prevent their body from getting enough oxygen.
According to the NHLBI, there are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your upper airway becomes blocked many times while you sleep, reducing or completely stopping airflow. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Anything that could narrow your airway such as obesity, large tonsils, or changes in your hormone levels can increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Central sleep apnea happens when your brain does not send the signals needed to breathe. Health conditions that affect how your brain controls your airway and chest muscles can cause central sleep apnea.
Symptoms of sleep apnea
Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea a partner might notice include breathing that starts or stops while you’re sleeping, frequent loud snoring, or gasping for air while you’re asleep.
Symptoms that the person with sleep apnea might notice include the following:
- Daytime sleepiness and tiredness, which can lead to problems learning, focusing, and reacting.
- Dry mouth or headaches.
- Moodiness and irritability.
- Sexual dysfunction or decreased libido.
- Waking up often during the night to urinate.
Your doctor might order a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea. Treatment includes positive air pressure (CPAP) machines and lifestyle changes. If those treatments don’t work, surgery might be recommended.
Sleep apnea is underdiagnosed in women
The video below from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation shows how women present with atypical sleep apnea.