Do You Have Sleep Apnea? Find Out — and Find Solutions

Do you snore loudly? Or feel tired when you wake up and during the day? Do you often have headaches in the morning? You may have a disorder called sleep apnea. Why is that important?

Sleep apnea isn’t just annoying. It can sometimes lead to serious health issues. These include Type 2 diabetes and problems with your heart, kidneys and liver. It’s important to learn more about sleep apnea and get treatment if needed. 

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to stop and start breathing while you sleep. The word “apnea” comes from the Greek word “breathless.” This lack of breathing can keep your body from getting enough oxygen while you sleep.

There are two main types of sleep apnea — obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Anything that narrows your airway can cause sleep apnea, says the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This includes being overweight, having enlarged tonsils or changes in your hormones. In women, menopause can make it worse, says Johns Hopkins Medicine. 

Central sleep apnea happens when muscles and nerves aren’t activated enough for breathing while asleep. The body “forgets” to breathe while you’re asleep. This causes pauses in airflow.

Both types of sleep apnea cause “loud” sleeping. This can mean gasping, snorting or snoring loudly while asleep. When you’re awake, symptoms might include headaches, dry mouth and daytime sleepiness.

Experts say up to 1 billion people globally may have sleep apnea — and most cases go undiagnosed.

How Do You Know if You Have It?

These days, there is no lack of information at our fingertips — or wrists. In fact, some devices, including common wearable health tech like Apple and Samsung Galaxy watches, have been FDA approved for detecting sleep apnea.

A review of research  shows that wearable AI was able to correctly classify sleep apnea events in 89.3 percent of respiratory events. While these devices and others can help you figure out if you have symptoms, that doesn’t mean you have sleep apnea.

If you think you may have sleep apnea, talk to your primary care doctor. Your doctor may order a sleep study, either in a sleep lab or at home using a portable device. During the study, your heart, lung and brain activity will be monitored while you sleep. The sleep study doctor will also check your throat and neck and talk with you about your sleep habits and symptoms.

How Is It Treated?

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor might refer you to an ear, nose and throat doctor. This is to rule out a blockage in your nose or throat. For central sleep apnea, your doctor might suggest an exam by a heart doctor. Or you may be sent to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the nervous system.

For milder cases of sleep apnea, your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, quitting smoking or changing your sleep positions.

If those changes don’t improve your sleep apnea, then there are other treatments available. Some devices can help open blocked airways. In other cases, surgery might be necessary.

Sources: Sleep apnea,  Mayo Clinic, 2023; What is Sleep Apnea?,  National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2025; How Does Menopause Affect My Sleep?,  Johns Hopkins Medicine; Detection of Sleep Apnea Using Wearable AI: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,  Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2024; Can Your Apple Watch Detect Sleep Apnea?,  Sleep Doctor, 2024; FDA approves sleep apnea tech from EnsoData, Samsung,  HealthCare IT News, 2024