Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have:

Poor sleep quality
Snoring
Waking at night with gasps, problems breathing, or coughing
Daytime sleepiness
Lack of focus during the day
Morning headaches
Waking up to pass urine
Motor vehicle accidents
Sexual problems

People with central sleep apnea (CSA) may have:

Frequent waking
Poor sleep quality
Waking at night with problems breathing
Problems falling asleep or staying asleep

A person's sleep partner may notice some of these symptoms while their partner sleeps.

References:

Central sleep apnea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/central-sleep-apnea. Accessed September 17, 2020.

Greenstone M, Hack M. Obstructive sleep apnoea. BMJ. 2014 Jun 17;348:g3745.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dyname.... Accessed September 16, 2020.

Sleep apnea. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 16, 2020.

Sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Sleep-Apnea-Information-Page. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Snoring, sleeping disorders, and sleep apnea. ENThealth—American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 17, 2020.

What is sleep apnea? American Sleep Apnea Association website. Available at: https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Kari Kassir, MD
Last Updated: 4/7/2021