As I wanted to add more information on certain cluster headache triggers, I had someone write two articles on ‘sleep apnea’. Annie has a site on sleep anxiety and she wrote an interesting article on the symptoms and diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is defined by the interruption of breathing during sleep. This condition is potentially fatal because when an episode takes place the person affected may actually stop breathing and not restart the process in time. When condition is suspected a sleep study is recommended in most cases. The study is a good tool for collecting comprehensive information regarding sleep patterns.

During a study, physiological parameters such as blood oxygen saturation, airflow through the nose, chest effort, muscle tension, eye movement, and brain activity will be recorded while the subject is sleep. A number of electrodes and other sensors will be attached to the subject’s head and chest, like during a routine EKG. The study usually takes place in a specially equipped room called a sleep lab, which is located in a hospital or a sleep clinic.

One potential complication, as mentioned before, is that there will be several electrodes and sensors attached to various places on the person’s body. This may be slightly uncomfortable and may limit freedom of movement. All wires and tubes will be connected to recording equipment, generally located in a neighboring room so the person sleeping is not disturbed by its operation. Even if the subject is not able to sleep through the night, enough data will probably be collected to come up with a diagnosis.

Here are some symptoms of sleep apnea:
• Waking with a sore or dry throat
• Waking with a choking or gasping sensation
• Sleepiness during the day
• Morning headaches
• Memory loss, mood changes
• Decreased sex drive
• Wakening throughout the night
• Insomnia
• Loud snoring

Though the reason is not certain, records show that men are more affected than women by sleep apnea. Being overweight is a risk factor, and occurrences are more common in people over 40.