Is This Sleep Apnea?

[*Robin*]

This has only happened twice, so I don't know if this can be considered sleep apnea or
not.

Last night I woke up, was hot, turned my air conditioner on. Then, I fell back asleep, and
something woke me up, causing me to sit straight up and gasp for air. I was also very
dizzy and had a hard time getting my bearings. My heart rate was very high and I had an
overall anxious feeling.

I have Lyme Disease, and one of my symptoms are panic attacks, so I don't know whether
this would be considered a panic attack or sleep apnea.

I don't smoke, I drink socially, am not overweight, and don't snore.

I've heard of people doing a sleep study, but because this happens so infrequently, that
wouldn't do much.

I would really appreciate your opinions.

[AZ9876]

I had similar symptoms caused by anxiety.  I had a sleep study and was found to stop breathing a couple of times during the night, but was told that less than 10 times per hour is not considered sleep apnea and they will not treat you.  More likely your symptoms are caused by anxiety.  Alcohol also disturbs sleep.  

You can take a simple questionnaire to see if you are at risk for sleep apnea.  There are several sites where you can take it online.  One is:

http://www.umm.edu/sleep/apnea_risk.htm

Take the link to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and do that first, then do the questionnaire.

[KatEyes]

If you were to have sleep apnea, it is likely the episodes that awaken you are just a few of those you actually experience. Most events are slept thru and one is not aware of them. The sensations you describe certainly sound like they could be from sleep apnea, especially if your oxygen level has dropped really low. Without some testing it would be hard to say if these are panic attacks or apnea events. I had events much like you describe just occassionally for years before diagnosed with SA. I also noticed from time to time I would awaken abruptly in a coughing fit feeling like something had gone down the wrong pipe. I assumed it was sinus drainage until I found others with SA did this too.

A sleep study is the gold standard for diagnosing SA. Some prefer to start with their doctor ordering overnight oximeter studies for a period of time to see if their oxygen level is stable when sleeping. All it entails is a finger clip that records your levels while you sleep in your home. A normal reading does not absolutely mean their is no sleep apnea, but it does indicate there is not chronic repetitive oxygen deprivation going on that accompanies some with severe sleep apnea in need of immediate treatment.

Or you could go ahead and get a sleep study rather than do it piecemeal.

Oh, while weight and/or a thick neck is often a factor in SA as this puts more compression on the throat, in the absence of excess weight, apnea can be caused by structural or muscle tone issues within the throat. Youth and fitness make these cases more undiagnosed as they don't fit the stereotype of older and obese.