Doctors Answers (8)
It appears to be a concern; although napping in our latter years is not uncommon. However, with the reported snoring and your "feeling" like you can't breath enough, those are flags that I could recommend you have a sleep study. So, ask your physician to order one.
Your niece could have a valid complaint. Snoring, lack of breath and sleepiness during the day are indications of sleep apnea.
It sounds as though you may have sleep disordered breathing (sleep apnea). This can result in daytime sleepiness. This may also lead to high blood pressure which may lead to more serious medical disorders such as stroke and heart attack. Daytime sleepiness may be the least of your problems.
Talk with your primary care physician and request a referral to a sleep center to test you for sleep disorders. Your complaints of daytime drowsiness, snoring and feeling you can't breathe when sleeping sounds like signs of obstructive sleep apnea. A sleep center study will let you know if you do have this problem along with solutions.
Most of us need about 8 hour of sleep at night to stay awake during the day. This changes throughout our life and there may be less sleep needed at night as we get older. What may help is to keep a sleep diary- record hours of sleep at night and record all the daytime naps that you are aware of or naps that were witnessed by others- this will help to determine your 24-hr sleep-wake cycle pattern. It may be a good idea to complete Epworth Sleepiness scale. If you score above 10- you are too sleepy and should talk to a sleep specialist. Choking in sleep, snoring- these are all symptoms of sleep apnea and it makes sense to check this with your sleep doctor as well. Best of luck to you.
If you sleep well during the night you should not be sleepy during the day. The fact that you are snoring does suggest possible Obstructive Sleep Apnea that can be life threatening. An evaluation by a sleep physician sounds like a good idea!
It's not just a simple matter of too much sleep but rather the type and quality of sleep. A sleep study or psg would be able to answer these questions.
Excessive sleeping can be caused by a number of conditions. Do you feel like you get a restful night's sleep? If the answer is no then you may have a sleep condition. The snoring and the feeling of not being able to breathe though your nose can be related to sinus or throat problems. The best thing to do is to set up an appointment to be evaluated by a physician. If you want to start with your family physician that is ok. He or she can order lab work and also do a physical exam. Then they can refer you to a specialist if needed. Or we will be happy to see you and determine if we can assist in your medical care.
