The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which, as the name suggests, results from an obstruction to the airways which produces difficulties with breathing. Additionally, there is a second type of sleep apnea known as central sleep apnea, in which the brain does not control your breathing adequately during sleep. A significant number of people suffer from mixed sleep apnea, which is a mixture of obstructive and central forms of the condition.

The symptoms of sleep apnea can arise at any time and, while they are most frequently found in overweight men who are over the age of forty, they can be found in men and women of all ages and are increasingly being found nowadays in children.

The most noticeable symptom of sleep apnea is snoring which is unfortunately a hard symptom to spot yourself and usually has to be pointed out by your sleeping partner. Snoring has various causes and snoring is not by itself a sign that you are suffering from sleep apnea. It is true nevertheless that most sufferers will snore.

The second most noticeable sleep apnea symptom is unusual tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing many times during sleep and the body's instinctive reaction to this is to wake you just enough to start you breathing again, but not sufficiently for you to be aware that you are being awakened. The result of this is that your sleep is extremely light and continually interrupted and you do not get the deep sleep which the body needs to recharge its batteries. As a consequence, over time, you find yourself getting ever more tired during the day.

If sleep apnea is left untreated its affects will begin to become more and more evident and further symptoms will start to appear. These could include headaches (particularly first thing in the morning), irritability and possibly depression. You could also notice yourself starting to put on weight.

A less obvious symptom of sleep apnea is increased blood pressure which can result in a number of cardiovascular difficulties. This will be picked up if you are among the increasing number of people who now monitor their blood pressure at home but might not otherwise be seen until you have a routine physical exam at your physician's office.

Another increasingly seen symptom is that of learning difficulties and difficultues with memory retention. Again this is not something that is easy to see yourself but others may notice that you are not as quick on the uptake as you once were.

A few sleep apnea sufferers will experience a fall in sexual function and this may lead to impotency.

As with the majority of medical conditions individual symptoms by themselves could well be a sign of just about anything. But, if you start to see these symptoms coming together then you should consider consulting your physician and think about being tested for sleep apnea.

A word of warning. Testing for sleep apnea will normally involve referral to a sleep specialist, preferably one who is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), and may mean being subjected to overnight sleep testing either in a sleep laboratory or at home. These tests can frequently cost upwards of $1,000 and you may wish to check with your health insurer before committing yourself to any program of sleep apnea evaluation.