Do I have sleep apnea?

Very Likely! Do you have difficulty waking up in the morning? Do you feel like no matter how many hours you sleep, you don't feel rested? Do you have a headache in the morning? Trouble with memory? Irritable in the morning? Snore? Stop breathing at night? If you answer yes to any of those questions above along with the symptoms you describe, you should be evaluated by a physician that specializes in Sleep Medicine. The physician will do a thorough history and, if it sounds like you need it, will recommend a sleep study which will verify the presence/absence of a sleep disorder. It is definitely worth looking into, as patients often are able to improve their quality of life significantly by having this problem addressed.

If you have fatigue or excessive sleepiness during the day, then the problems could be due to sleep disordered breathing at night. If you have recurrent loud snoring or witness episodes of cessation of breathing (apnea), a choking or gasping feeling while asleep and awaken unrefreshed from a night's sleep with a dry mouth or swollen legs, then you may have sleep apnea. Your risk is increased if you are obese, have a narrow upper airway, drink alcohol excessively or use sleeping pills like Ambien or Temazepam. To help evaluate this potential disorder you should have your primary doctor refer you to a sleep specialist.

Hi, most likely you do have a sleep disorder. You should be able to function during the day without taking naps. United Healthcare covers sleep testing.