Health Library Home>Conditions InDepth>Article

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

En Español (Spanish Version)

Symptoms

Talking to Your Doctor

Living With Sleep Apnea

Resource Guide

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.dynamed.com/condition/obstructive-sleep-apnea-osa-in-adults. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Sleep apnea. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea. 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: http://www.entnet.org/content/snoring-and-sleep-apnea. 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

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.