Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Daytime Sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea. But not everyone with sleep apnea feels sleepy during the day.

Sleep apnea involves a wide range of severity levels. A person with mild sleep apnea may stop breathing five or ten times an hour during sleep. In contrast a person with severe sleep apnea may stop breathing 30 or more times per hour.

Each breathing pause ends when the body briefly wakes up to take a breath. The more times this occurs, the more fragmented and disrupted your sleep will be.

Mild sleep apnea should be taken seriously even if you don’t have daytime sleepiness. It can increase your risk of other health problems such as high blood pressure. It also can progress to more severe sleep apnea over time.

Answer these questions on SleepEducation.com to learn more about your risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.