Sleep Apnea

[Jay1_23]

I have smoked a lot of marijuana in my life. I recently quit 2 months ago, and im 19 years old. In my oppion my lungs have been devastated.....i mean i really abused them.  Anyways i know what sleep anea is but i dont snore, which is the main symptom i believe. I think breathing has become more of a concious thing for me, and even when im awake i catch myself not breathing. I wake up every night and then if i do get back to sleep i constantly dream.  I never wake up rested anymore, and all day I am tired.  I woke up this  mourning at 5:00AM.  I was half asleep and half awake when i realized i wasnt breathing for a little while and it freaked me out. I am scared to go back to sleep even though i a very tired. Yes i will make an appointment with my doctor but untill i go would you tell me the possibilities of this happenning and what it might be? Thanks

[National Jewish]

Sleep apnea is when breathing stops for 10 seconds or more while sleeping.  Each time this happens it is an episode of apnea.  This may happen several hundred times a night, causing a person to feel quite sleepy during the day.  As part of a sleep study the number of episodes of apnea are noted each hour using the terms apnea hypopnea index (AHI) or respiratory disturbance index (RDI).  It is normal to have an AHI or RDI of 5 or less.  By definition mild sleep apnea is an AHI or RDI of 6 to 15.  Moderate sleep apnea is defined as an AHI or RDI of 16 to 30.  It is possible for a person to be aware of an episode of apnea because they wake themselves up gasping for air.  Otherwise their oxygen level drops.  Snoring is what often alerts people to the problem.  However not everyone snores.