At least 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders each year. The majority of these conditions can result in sleep deprivation, which interferes with work, driving, and academics.

What is Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have intermittent breathing disturbances while you sleep. These breathing pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. They might occur 30 times or more in an hour. Typically, normal breathing starts again, oftentimes with a loud choking sound or snort.

As a result of these breathing interruptions, the quality of your sleep is poor, which leads to a host of other consequences such as:

  • Daytime fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Morning headache
  • Difficulty paying attention while awake
  • Insomnia (difficulty staying asleep)
  • Awakening with a dry mouth

If sleep apnea is left untreated, there are health complications that may arise:

  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Impotence
  • Arrhythmia
  • Stroke

At North Texas Sleep Solutions, Dr. Lauck provides a Quick Self Check to determine whether you have a sleep disorder and are in need of further care.