Signs of sleep apnea

The most common signs of sleep apnea

Snoring: In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), your breathing airway is blocked by the muscles in your throat. This causes the choking and/or gasping for air commonly associated with sleep apnea – and it also causes snoring.

Drowsiness/sleepiness: When you have untreated OSA, you’re not sleeping well; you may wake up many times throughout the night, even if just for a few seconds, and even if you don’t remember it. Needless to say, lack of proper sleep may lead to a feeling of sleepiness throughout your day.

Morning headaches: Morning headaches are sometimes linked to obstructive sleep apnea – they’re reported by nearly 1 in 5 people with OSA.1 These headaches often occur on both sides of the head (bilaterally) and last fewer than 4 hours.2

Additional signs of sleep apnea

Besides the signs of OSA listed above, there are numerous other symptoms associated with this common condition, including loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, awakening with a dry mouth, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty paying attention while awake and irritability.3

Like the signs of OSA listed above, these symptoms don’t always mean that someone has sleep apnea. But, if you’re experiencing one or more of them regularly, it’s probably time to consult your doctor about whether or not you have a sleep-related breathing disorder and see if a sleep test is in your future.

Improve your sleep by taking a sleep test, which can be fast, easy and is covered by many insurance providers.*