Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Overview
How Common Is Sleep Apnea?
Causes of Sleep Apnea and Risk Factors
What Are the Mortality Rates for Sleep Apnea?
Screening and Early Detection
A Word From Verywell
Next in Sleep Apnea Guide
Sleep apnea (also known as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA) is a sleep disorder occurring in about 25% of men and nearly 10% of women.
Sleep apnea describes when a person stops and starts breathing again throughout the night because their upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. Having a narrow airway can increase the risk of sleep apnea.This ongoing breathing disruption means you get less oxygen while you sleep as well as worse sleep overall.
This article will describe sleep apnea in more detail, including how common sleep apnea is, why some people are at a higher risk of sleep apnea than others, and the prognosis for sleep apnea.
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Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that requires medical attention. When someone stops or pauses breathing for longer than 10 seconds multiple times an hour throughout the night, they are not taking in adequate amounts of oxygen.
Sleep apnea has secondary symptoms resulting from chronic poor sleep including:
What Is Sleep Apnea?
The exact number of people with sleep apnea in the United States is difficult to determine. A 2021 study shows lifetime prevalence across literature varies between 9–38% but also that anywhere from 80–90% of sleep apnea cases may be undiagnosed (meaning cases in which the person doesn’t even know they have sleep apnea).
Lifetime prevalence or likelihood of developing sleep apnea ranges from 13–25% in men and 6–10% in women.
Obstructive sleep apnea is common across ethnic backgrounds, but research shows rates tend to be higher among:
Sleep apnea doesn’t have an age minimum or limit. It can occur inbabies, children, teens, adults, and the elderly. But it is most commonly associated with people over the age of 50.
It is more commonly diagnosed in men than in women across all groups. The exact reasons for this are unknown, but researchers say some explanations for the gender difference include differences in obesity, upper airway anatomy, breathing control, hormones, and aging.
Why Am I Always Tired?
The following factors are not necessarily direct causes of sleep apnea but can be thought of as catalysts, precursors, or triggers for sleep apnea. For example, not everyone who ages will develop sleep apnea, but those who have other risk factors from this list may be more likely (especially if they’re male).
Risk factors for sleep apnea include:
Does Nicotine Keep You Awake?
People can die from complications associated with sleep apnea. The more severe the sleep apnea, the greater the risk of heart attack or premature death.Not everyone with sleep apnea is obese, but they are both associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. These factors increase the risk of premature death when left untreated.
The Health Effects of Sleep Apnea
You may not know you have sleep apnea, especially if you do not share your bedroom with anyone who can report your symptoms. But if you are experiencing daytime tiredness with no known causes or are waking up often during the night, consider speaking with a healthcare provider about professional screenings for sleep disorders. You may also consider at-home sleep apnea testing or in-person sleep study testing if sleep apnea or other sleep disorders occur in your family.
Tests and screening may be part of what’s called polysomnography (sleep studies). It may involve home sleep testing or in-lab testing.
Early diagnosis supports a person in regaining healthy function, daytime performance, avoiding injury, and minimizing the risk of cardiovascular events.
Summary
The complications of sleep apnea can be dangerous. If you experience frequently disrupted sleep, speak with your healthcare provider. You’re not alone in dealing with this problem.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Santilli M, Manciocchi E, D’Addazio G, Di Maria E, D’Attilio M, Femminella B, and Sinjari B.Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A single-center retrospective study.International journal of environmental research and public health.2021;18(19):10277. doi:10.3390/ijerph181910277National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Dudley KA and Patel SR.Disparities and genetic risk factors in obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep medicine. 2016;18:96–102. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.015Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.Lin CM, Davidson TM, & Ancoli-Israel S.Gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea and treatment implications.Sleep medicine reviews. 2008;12(6):481–496. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.11.003Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, O’Donnell CP.Pathophysiology of sleep apnea.Physiol Rev. 2010;90(1):47–112. doi:10.1152/physrev.00043.2008The Sleep Apnea Association.Can you die from sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.The dangers of uncontrolled sleep apnea.Girardin JL, Zizi F, Clark LT, Brown CD, McFarlane SI.Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: role of the metabolic syndrome and its components.Journal of clinical sleep medicine. 2008 Jun;4(3):261–272.American Association of Sleep Technologists.What is polysomnography?Maurer JT.Early diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders.GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery. 2008 Oct.7. PMC3199834
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Santilli M, Manciocchi E, D’Addazio G, Di Maria E, D’Attilio M, Femminella B, and Sinjari B.Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A single-center retrospective study.International journal of environmental research and public health.2021;18(19):10277. doi:10.3390/ijerph181910277National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Dudley KA and Patel SR.Disparities and genetic risk factors in obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep medicine. 2016;18:96–102. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.015Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.Lin CM, Davidson TM, & Ancoli-Israel S.Gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea and treatment implications.Sleep medicine reviews. 2008;12(6):481–496. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.11.003Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, O’Donnell CP.Pathophysiology of sleep apnea.Physiol Rev. 2010;90(1):47–112. doi:10.1152/physrev.00043.2008The Sleep Apnea Association.Can you die from sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.The dangers of uncontrolled sleep apnea.Girardin JL, Zizi F, Clark LT, Brown CD, McFarlane SI.Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: role of the metabolic syndrome and its components.Journal of clinical sleep medicine. 2008 Jun;4(3):261–272.American Association of Sleep Technologists.What is polysomnography?Maurer JT.Early diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders.GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery. 2008 Oct.7. PMC3199834
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Santilli M, Manciocchi E, D’Addazio G, Di Maria E, D’Attilio M, Femminella B, and Sinjari B.Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A single-center retrospective study.International journal of environmental research and public health.2021;18(19):10277. doi:10.3390/ijerph181910277National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Dudley KA and Patel SR.Disparities and genetic risk factors in obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep medicine. 2016;18:96–102. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.015Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.Lin CM, Davidson TM, & Ancoli-Israel S.Gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea and treatment implications.Sleep medicine reviews. 2008;12(6):481–496. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.11.003Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, O’Donnell CP.Pathophysiology of sleep apnea.Physiol Rev. 2010;90(1):47–112. doi:10.1152/physrev.00043.2008The Sleep Apnea Association.Can you die from sleep apnea?Johns Hopkins Medicine.The dangers of uncontrolled sleep apnea.Girardin JL, Zizi F, Clark LT, Brown CD, McFarlane SI.Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: role of the metabolic syndrome and its components.Journal of clinical sleep medicine. 2008 Jun;4(3):261–272.American Association of Sleep Technologists.What is polysomnography?Maurer JT.Early diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders.GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery. 2008 Oct.7. PMC3199834
Santilli M, Manciocchi E, D’Addazio G, Di Maria E, D’Attilio M, Femminella B, and Sinjari B.Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A single-center retrospective study.International journal of environmental research and public health.2021;18(19):10277. doi:10.3390/ijerph181910277
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.
Dudley KA and Patel SR.Disparities and genetic risk factors in obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep medicine. 2016;18:96–102. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.015
Cleveland Clinic.Sleep apnea.
Lin CM, Davidson TM, & Ancoli-Israel S.Gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea and treatment implications.Sleep medicine reviews. 2008;12(6):481–496. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.11.003
Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, O’Donnell CP.Pathophysiology of sleep apnea.Physiol Rev. 2010;90(1):47–112. doi:10.1152/physrev.00043.2008
The Sleep Apnea Association.Can you die from sleep apnea?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.The dangers of uncontrolled sleep apnea.
Girardin JL, Zizi F, Clark LT, Brown CD, McFarlane SI.Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: role of the metabolic syndrome and its components.Journal of clinical sleep medicine. 2008 Jun;4(3):261–272.
American Association of Sleep Technologists.What is polysomnography?
Maurer JT.Early diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders.GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery. 2008 Oct.7. PMC3199834
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