Sleep apnoea

Symptoms of sleep apnoea mainly happen while you sleep.

They include:

• your breathing stopping and starting
• making gasping, snorting or choking noises
• waking up a lot
• loud snoring

During the day, you may also:

• feel very tired
• find it hard to concentrate
• have mood swings
• have a headache when you wake up

It can be hard to tell if you have sleep apnoea. It may help to ask someone to stay with you while you sleep so they can check for the symptoms.

You have any of the main symptoms of sleep apnoea, such as:

• your breathing stops and starts while you sleep
• you make gasping, snorting or choking noises while you sleep
• you always feel very tired during the day

If someone else has seen you have the symptoms, it can help to bring them with you to the GP.

Sleep apnoea can be serious if it's not diagnosed and treated.

If a GP thinks you might have sleep apnoea, they may refer you to a specialist sleep clinic for tests.

At the clinic, you may be given devices that check things like your breathing and heartbeat while you sleep.

You'll be asked to wear these overnight so doctors can check for signs of sleep apnoea.

You can usually do this at home, but sometimes you may need to stay in the clinic overnight.

These tests can show if you have sleep apnoea and how severe it is. This is based on how often your breathing stops while you sleep (AHI score).

Your AHI (apnoea–hypopnoea index) score shows how severe your sleep apnoea is:

• AHI of 5 to 14 = mild
• AHI of 15 to 30 = moderate
• AHI over 30 = severe

Sleep apnoea can sometimes be treated by making lifestyle changes like losing weight, giving up smoking and reducing how much alcohol you drink.

But many people need to use a device called a CPAP machine. You'll be given this for free on the NHS if you need it.

CPAP machine

A CPAP machine gently pumps air into a mask you wear over your nose, or nose and mouth, while you sleep.

It can help:

• improve your breathing while you sleep by stopping your airways getting too narrow
• improve the quality of your sleep and help you feel less tired
• reduce the risk of problems linked to sleep apnoea, such as high blood pressure

Using a CPAP machine may feel strange or awkward at first, but try to keep using it. It works best if you use it every night.

Tell your doctor if you find it uncomfortable or hard to use.

A guide to your CPAP (NHS England website, PDF only, 7.37MB)

Other treatments sometimes used for sleep apnoea include:

• a device like a gum shield that holds your airways open while you sleep (mandibular advancement device)
• surgery to help your breathing, such as removing large tonsils
• exercises for your mouth and facial muscles
• a device that sends small electrical signals to the nerve that controls your tongue (hypoglossal nerve stimulation)

If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, there are some things you can do to help.

These may be all you need to do if your sleep apnoea is mild.

• try to lose weight if you're overweight

• exercise regularly – being active can improve your symptoms and help you keep to a healthy weight

• have good sleep habits like making sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, and going to bed and waking up at the same time each day

• sleep on your side – try taping a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or buy a special pillow or bed wedge to help keep you on your side

• do not smoke

• do not drink too much alcohol – especially shortly before going to sleep

• do not take sleeping pills unless recommended by a doctor – they can make sleep apnoea worse

Without treatment, sleep apnoea can lead to other problems including:

• high blood pressure
• a higher chance of having a stroke
• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease
• depression or mood changes
• a higher chance of having a serious accident caused by tiredness, such as a car accident
• difficulty concentrating at work or school

Sleep apnoea can also be difficult for your partner and put a strain on your relationship with them.

Sleep apnoea happens if your airways become too narrow while you sleep. This stops you breathing properly.

Sleep apnoea has been linked to:

• obesity
• having a large neck
• getting older – although children and young adults can also get it
• having other family members with sleep apnoea
• drinking alcohol
• smoking
• having large tonsils or adenoids
• sleeping on your back
• a condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

The main symptoms of sleep apnoea include making gasping or choking noises while you sleep, loud snoring and feeling very tired during the day.

Sleep apnoea is often treated with a CPAP machine. This gently pumps air into a mask you wear over your nose, or your nose and mouth, while you sleep.

Things you can try if you have sleep apnoea include losing weight if you're overweight, exercising regularly and good sleep habits.

If sleep apnoea is not treated, it can cause other problems including high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression.