Could You Have Sleep Apnea? Here Are the Signs to Watch For

You wake up exhausted even after a full night’s sleep. Your partner keeps nudging you about snoring. You fall asleep during meetings without meaning to. These things are easy to brush off — blame it on a busy week, too much screen time, not enough coffee.

But they might be pointing to something more: sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders in the United States, and most people who have it don’t know it. Because it happens while you’re asleep, it’s easy to miss — and easy to explain away. Here’s what to watch for, and when it’s worth talking to a health care provider.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you sleep. Each pause can last a few seconds or longer and may happen dozens — or even hundreds — of times a night. When your brain registers that breathing has stopped, it briefly wakes you just enough to restart it. You usually don’t remember these arousals, but they fragment your sleep and leave you feeling like you never really rested.

The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when the muscles in your throat relax too much during sleep and partially or fully block your airway.

Signs you might have sleep apnea

Sleep apnea doesn’t always look the way people expect. The most recognizable sign — loud snoring — isn’t the only one, and not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Here’s a broader picture of what to look for.

During sleep:

• Loud, frequent snoring, often with gasping or choking sounds
• Witnessed pauses in breathing (something a partner or roommate might notice)
• Restless sleep or frequently waking up during the night, often to use the restroom
• Waking with a dry mouth, sore throat, or headache

During the day:

• Waking up tired
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, even after a full night in bed
• Difficulty focusing or accomplishing tasks in the day
• Irritability or mood changes
• Falling asleep easily in quiet situations — watching TV, reading, or riding in a car, or during meetings

These symptoms happen because sleep apnea prevents you from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep your body needs. Even if you’re in bed for eight hours, repeated interruptions mean you’re not getting the rest you think you are, and do not remember waking, even.

Who is more likely to develop sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but certain factors increase your risk:

• Being overweight or obese
• Having a thick neck, small jaw, or narrow airway
• Being male (though women’s risk increases after menopause)
• Being over age 40
• Having a family history of sleep apnea
• Using alcohol or sedatives, especially before bed
• Smoking
• Having high blood pressure

That said, sleep apnea also occurs in people who don’t fit these categories, including women, younger adults, and people at a healthy weight. If you’re experiencing symptoms, it’s worth taking them seriously regardless of your profile.

Why it matters beyond feeling tired

Sleep apnea isn’t just about poor sleep. Left untreated, it’s associated with a range of serious health conditions — including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to daytime drowsiness. Treating it isn’t just about feeling more rested. It can meaningfully protect your long-term health.

So, what do you do if you recognize these signs?

The first step is talking to your health care provider. A sleep study — which can often be done at home with a portable device — can confirm whether sleep apnea is the cause of your symptoms. From there, your care team can help you understand your options. Treatment has come a long way, and there are more choices than ever, including newer therapies like Inspire® that don’t involve a CPAP mask at all.

If you’re in the Springfield area and want to talk to someone about your symptoms, CoxHealth’s sleep medicine team is here to help. We’re proud to be one of the most experienced sleep apnea programs in the country — and we’re focused on finding the right solution for you, not just the most common one.