“Sleep apnea manifests itself in particular through excessive daytime sleepiness,” explains Dasgupta. “People may fall asleep while driving or experience microsleep” – brief moments of sleep lasting 1 to 30 seconds that you may not even realize are happening.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, it is important to get treated as soon as possible. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea but continue to experience symptoms, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, ask your doctor if you should try a new treatment.
The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated, reducing health risks, says Dasgupta. Some people may be reluctant to go see a doctor and do a sleep study, assuming they will be hooked up to monitors and devices at a sleep center, he says. But the diagnostic process is much easier than it was in decades past.
“Today, a sleep study is not Frankenstein’s monster, with tubes coming out, [that] you could imagine,” says Dasgupta. “You can do a home sleep study in your own bed.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/VWH-GettyImages-1798508200-6db34595104d4bc0aad4206b0bff3843.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "What happens to your sleep when you walk before going to bed")
