4 Signs You Could Have Sleep Apnea

Roughly 40 million people in the United States are affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a long-term condition that disrupts breathing while you sleep. Although it's often linked to individuals who are overweight or have a thicker neck, OSA isn’t limited to any one group — it can affect anyone.

OSA causes dozens of tiny breathing interruptions during sleep. These interruptions can last just a few seconds — so brief, you won’t even know they’re occurring — but their cumulative effects can have major implications for your health. 

In fact, OSA has been tied to increased risks of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, strokes, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and even mood disorders like depression. Fortunately, identifying and treating OSA early can significantly improve your health and quality of life.

At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, Andrew Freedman, MD, and Gichel Watson, RPAC, offer patient-centered therapies for sleep apnea, helping patients improve their sleep and reduce apnea-related health risks. Here, learn four common sleep apnea symptoms, so you can seek treatment as soon as possible.

1. Intense snoring

One of the most recognizable signs of sleep apnea is loud, unrelenting snoring — often loud and persistent enough to bother your sleep partner. Snoring happens when the tissues in your throat are deeply relaxed and descend into your airway, partially blocking it. As you breathe, airflow vibrates the surrounding tissues, producing loud, intrusive snoring.

However, snoring doesn’t always mean you have sleep apnea. Allergies, sinus problems, and nasal congestion can all lead to snoring, too. You can also have apnea without snoring, which is why it’s important to recognize the other common symptoms on this list.

2. Choking or gasping during sleep

Snoring is just one possible breathing-related apnea symptom. While many breathing interruptions only last for a few seconds, some interruptions can last a lot longer, triggering gasping or choking during sleep.

These symptoms happen when prolonged breathing disruptions cause your blood oxygen levels to plummet. Your brain reacts by triggering a gasping or choking response to bring in more air and oxygen. These episodes typically wake you up, even though you may not always realize why.

3. Daytime fatigue

When your sleep is disrupted dozens of times each night, your body doesn’t get the restorative rest it needs. Sleep apnea frequently interferes with the sleep cycle, which affects both your energy levels and your body’s ability to recover.

People living with sleep apnea often feel tired all day long, have trouble focusing, and may even find themselves dozing off during work or other activities. This ongoing exhaustion also increases the risk of accidents and weakens immune defenses, making it harder to stay healthy.

4. Cognitive and mood issues

Sleep apnea doesn’t just make you feel sluggish and fatigued — it can affect your mental sharpness and emotional stability, too. Your brain relies on deep, uninterrupted sleep to recharge and restore itself. Multiple sleeping disruptions during the night can lead to difficulties with memory, attention, and mental clarity, a condition commonly referred to as "brain fog."

Over time, the effects of poor sleep can take a toll on your emotional well-being, making it harder to manage stress and potentially contributing to mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or even chronic mental health issues, like depression.

Find help for sleep apnea

Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group serves patients in Monroe, Manalapan, Cranbury, South Brunswick, and surrounding areas in New Jersey, along with 28 states via telemedicine. Request your appointment online or over the phone with our team today.