Sleep Apnea: Common Questions
Repeated narrowing or closure of the upper airway during sleep, causing breathing pauses and fragmented sleep.
Last revised
Sleep Apnea: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- Definition of an apnea: breathing stops for 10 seconds or more
- Classic signs: loud snoring, witnessed pauses or gasping, daytime sleepiness
- Most useful single change: Ask whoever sleeps near you whether you stop breathing or gasp.
- Commonest mistake: Driving when sleepy, or ignoring falling asleep during the day.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Repeated narrowing or closure of the upper airway during sleep, causing breathing pauses and fragmented sleep.
Why does it matter?
It is strongly linked to high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, stroke and drowsy-driving crashes, and many people who have it are undiagnosed.
Definition of an apnea for Sleep Apnea?
Breathing stops for 10 seconds or more.
Classic signs for Sleep Apnea?
Loud snoring, witnessed pauses or gasping, daytime sleepiness.
Standard treatment, moderate to severe for Sleep Apnea?
CPAP.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Ask whoever sleeps near you whether you stop breathing or gasp.
What is the most common mistake?
Driving when sleepy, or ignoring falling asleep during the day.
When should I see a doctor?
See your doctor if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, if anyone has seen you stop breathing or gasp, or if you fall asleep without meaning to during the day, and do not drive while excessively sleepy. Call 911 for chest pain, sudden severe shortness of breath, or signs of stroke such as face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking.
Related topics
- Atrial Fibrillation: What the Evidence Actually Says (Heart Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Shift Work and Health (Workplace Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Sleep and the Brain (Brain Health)
- Teen Sleep: What Published Guidance Supports (Teen Health)
Where to go next
- A Q and A on Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Apnea at a Glance
- Sleep Apnea — the reference entry
- Sleep: The Complete Guide
- Caffeine and Sleep: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Shift Work and Sleep: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to get help
See your doctor if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, if anyone has seen you stop breathing or gasp, or if you fall asleep without meaning to during the day, and do not drive while excessively sleepy. Call 911 for chest pain, sudden severe shortness of breath, or signs of stroke such as face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking.
Where this comes from
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — Sleep Apnea
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine — Obstructive Sleep Apnea
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
