Yes ladies we ALL have sleep issues at one time or another, typically this is due to our hormone changes during the span of our lifetime. Wow, what a span we have! What symptoms, sign or diseases should prompt a woman tor her doctor to consider that she might need to have a sleep evaluation? Women may experience daytime fatigue, lack of energy or excessive sleepiness despite getting an adequate amount of sleep (usually 7-8 hours) at night. They may notice headaches when they first awaken. Their bed partner may report that they have heavy snoring, or that they have breathing pauses during their sleep and make choking sounds sometimes with these. Women themselves may notice that they have frequent unexplained awakenings at night, awaken frequently to urinate, or sometimes awaken from sleep at night feeling as if they are gasping or choking. These things should be addressed with a healthcare professional.

We also know that women’s risk for sleep apnea increases as they transition through menopause, so that post menopausal women are up to three times more likely to have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) compared to premenopausal women. Also women who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for having sleep apnea. Women (or men) who have blood pressure that is difficult to control despite taking medication and have some of these symptoms may also wish to be evaluated for sleep apnea, as diagnosis and treatment of OSA can help with blood pressure for control.

Common complaints by women are difficulty maintaining sleep, un-refreshing sleep, chronic fatigue, lack of energy, snoring, frequent nighttime urination, awakening gasping, daytime sleepiness, awakening with a headache, or edema (swelling) of the feet. The “classic” symptoms are snoring, witnessed apneas (pauses in breathing), and daytime sleepiness, but women may not experience these things. Weight gain, depression, waking up gasping for breath, hypertension, and dry mouth in the morning may be tip-offs for women that may need a sleep evaluation. Finally, women who are obese, pregnant women, and post-menopausal women all have a greater risk of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). Women with the endocrine disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome, are also more likely to have sleep apnea even after controlling weight and should seek a healthcare professional.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. ~Irish Proverb