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Sleep Apnea

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Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep, which can prevent the body from getting enough oxygen. People with sleep apnea might experience loud snoring, poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, and morning headaches. Treatment options include lifestyle changes, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliances provided by a dentist, and surgery. Maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and avoiding alcohol and sedatives before sleep are crucial lifestyle factors in managing sleep apnea.

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Sleep Apnea

As many as 18 million Americans are not getting a good night's sleep due to a condition called sleep apnea. Stunningly, experts say 90% of those people aren’t even aware they have the condition, which, if left, can have grave consequences.
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FAQ

What are the main types of sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a mechanical problem that blocks the airway. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send necessary messages to muscles that control breathing. And complex sleep apnea is a combination of the two.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, dry mouth upon waking, morning headaches, daytime fatigue, irritability, and issues with concentration and memory. People with sleep apnea also stop breathing briefly during sleep, leading to repetitive snorting and gasping for air.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, glaucoma, cancer, and depression. It can also increase your risk of daytime accidents due to chronic fatigue.

To diagnose sleep apnea, your doctor begins by gathering your full medical history and conducting a physical examination. After these steps they may request a sleep study, known as a polysomnography, either in a sleep disorders clinic or at home.

Lifestyle changes, including losing weight (especially in people with obesity), exercising regularly, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and sedative medications later in the day, and sleeping on your side, can help alleviate symptoms of sleep apnea.

Meet Our Experts In Sleep Apnea
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
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Chester Wu, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Chester Wu, MD, is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. He cares for patients through his private practice in Houston, where he provides evaluations, medication...

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Abhinav Singh

Abhinav Singh, MD

Medical Reviewer

Abhinav Singh, MD, is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and the medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center. He is also an associate clinical professor at Marian Univers...

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Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, IFNCP, RYT-200

Medical Reviewer

Monique Richard is an award-winning registered and licensed dietitian-nutritionist (RDN, LDN) and nationally recognized nutrition expert who brings a deeply integrative, person-cen...

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Daniel Barone, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, From NewYork-Presbyterian

Daniel Barone, MD, is the associate medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he is also an associate attending ...

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Alex Dimitriu, MD

Medical Reviewer

Alex Dimitriu, MD, is dual board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. He helps his patients optimize peak performance by day and peak restorative sleep by night, and he brin...

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Resources
  1. Sleep Apnea. Mayo Clinic. April 6, 2023.

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