People who have the misfortune to snore frequently or have obstructive sleep apnea suffer from sleep deprivation which can affect your daily life as well. The longer that you have the symptoms of sleep apnea the more that you will start to see how it impacts your work or studying in school or your daily life in general.

Because you are awakening frequently during the night you are not getting a good night's rest. Each episode of snoring causes your air flow to be blocked for ten seconds or more causing you to try to catch your breath. This can be repeated for some people hundreds of times during a single night. Many people are unaware that they are snoring or that they have sleep apnea unless or until a partner or other household member tells them.

Sleep deprivation from snoring or sleep apnea can lead to irritability but more concerning is that it can lead to more serious health concerns. Often depression ensues when you have continued sleep deprivation that leads to a decline in your mental functioning because you have been deprived of not only your sleep, but also deprived of oxygen during those frequent snoring episodes.

The loud snoring does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea but it can certainly lead to that if it continues for long periods of time - over weeks and months instead of once a week. Many people will experience headaches and daytime drowsiness and continued episodes can increase chances of a heart attack - especially if you also have other risk factors like smoking, aging, high cholesterol or high blood pressure or diabetes.

If you feel you might have all the classic symptoms of sleep apnea you should seek a physician's advice to determine the extent of the problem. Sleep deprivation that goes untreated will affect your ability to work effectively or study or listen during classes - making a health problem even more significant if it goes untreated. It will also affect your ability to stay awake while driving or concentrate on work or any other activities making you more vulnerable to accidents.

Continued sleep deprivation from snoring or sleep apnea can cause serious health issues so don't delay in getting an expert opinion so that you can remedy the situation immediately. Seek advice from a physician or an experienced professional who can provide you with some solutions that will resolve your sleep apnea and/or snoring problems so that you will get a restful night's sleep.