Could Sleep Apnea Be Causing Your Fatigue?

Sleep apnea — a condition in which breathing repeatedly stalls during sleep — is hidden driver of daytime fatigue. These pauses jar the brain awake to reopen the airway, disrupting sleep and preventing deep rest.

Sleep apnea can also cause blood-oxygen levels to drop, straining the heart and brain. This can lead to drowsiness and difficulty concentrating.

Studies have estimated that between 10 and 30 percent of U.S. adults suffer from sleep apnea. And yet it can be difficult to know if you have it, especially if you live alone and there’s no one to tell you if you’re snoring — one of sleep apnea’s hallmark signs. Even then, while certain health conditions may predispose a risk for sleep apnea, not all of them are visible.

“When I was in med school decades ago, I was taught that sleep apnea is a problem for people who are obese or elderly,” functional-medicine physician Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP says, noting that it’s often missed in those who don’t fit that profile. “At our clinic, we recently diagnosed it in a 17-year-old slender person, whose only risk factors had to do with the anatomy of their throat and hypermobility.”

Signs of sleep apnea can include unrefreshing sleep, loud snoring, headaches, and brain fog. FDA-approved portable devices measure airflow, oxygen levels, respiratory effort, and heart rate to help identify the condition. An in-person overnight sleep study is even more thorough.

How to address:

Many sufferers find it helpful to limit their drinking, because alcohol can relax the throat muscles and increase airway obstruction. For heavier people, weight loss may help; weight around the neck can put pressure on the airways.

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines are among the most commonly prescribed treatment tools for sleep apnea. They help keep the airway open during sleep and can substantially improve sleep quality.