Does Your Partner Have Sleep Apnea?

Determining if someone has sleep apnea requires a proper medical diagnosis based on the results of a sleep study. However, there are several common signs and symptoms you can look for in your partner if you suspect they might have sleep apnea.

Loud snoring

Snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Snoring is caused by the vibration of the soft tissues in the throat when airflow is partially obstructed during sleep. In sleep apnea, these obstructions are more severe and can lead to brief pauses in breathing. There is a correlation between the volume of snoring and the severity of sleep apnea, mild sleep apnea tends to accompany softer snoring, severe sleep apnea tends to come with loud snoring.

Central sleep apnea is a much rarer form of sleep apnea which is characterised by the brain’s failure to send appropriate signals to the respiratory muscles. Central sleep apnea can present without any snoring.

Episodes of breathing cessation during sleep

Sleep apnea of both types (obstructive and central) consists of repeated brief periods where breathing stops (apneas) or is significantly reduced (hypopneas) during sleep. If you notice your partner is frequently stopping breathing during their sleep, it is highly likely they have sleep apnea, but you can’t rule out sleep apnea if you don’t notice your partner stopping breathing, as hypopneas may be occurring without you noticing.

Abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking

During sleep, the muscles in the throat relax. In individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this relaxation leads to a partial or complete collapse of the airway, preventing air from flowing into the lungs. The blockage of the airway reduces oxygen levels and increases carbon dioxide levels in the blood. The brain senses these changes and responds to the lack of oxygen and the excess carbon dioxide. To resume normal breathing, the brain briefly awakens the person from sleep and tenses the muscles in the upper airway, leading to a sudden reopening of the airway which can cause the person to gasp or choke as they start to breathe again. This is known as an arousal which typically last only a few seconds, not long enough for the person to be aware of it even though it may be occurring hundreds of times a night. 

Morning headache

Sleep Apnea can cause morning headaches due to several physiological changes that occur during the repeated episodes of airway obstruction and subsequent arousals from sleep:

1. Oxygen Desaturation: During episodes of apnea, the airway is blocked, leading to a decrease in blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia). This lack of oxygen can cause blood vessels in the brain to dilate, leading to headaches. Hypoxemia can be very dangerous in the longer term.
2. Carbon Dioxide Retention: With reduced airflow, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood increase (hypercapnia). Elevated CO2 can cause blood vessels to widen (vasodilation) and lead to increased intracranial pressure, which can contribute to headaches.
3. Sleep Fragmentation: The frequent awakenings and disruptions in sleep architecture prevent the brain from achieving restful and restorative sleep stages. Poor sleep quality can lead to tension headaches and contribute to the overall feeling of discomfort upon waking.
4. Increased Blood Pressure: The body’s response to repeated drops in oxygen and arousals from sleep can cause fluctuations in blood pressure. These changes can lead to increased intracranial pressure and result in headaches.
5. Bruxism (Teeth Grinding): OSA is often associated with bruxism, which can cause tension and strain in the jaw muscles, leading to headaches.

Difficulty staying asleep

Sleep apnea can cause insomnia through several mechanisms related to the repeated disruptions in breathing and sleep continuity:

1. Frequent Arousals: Frequent arousals prevent individuals from maintaining a continuous and restful sleep, contributing to difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep.
2. Anxiety and Anticipation: Individuals with OSA may develop anxiety or a fear of sleeping due to the anticipation of waking up gasping for air or choking. This anxiety can further contribute to difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep.
3. Daytime Sleepiness and Napping: The excessive daytime sleepiness caused by OSA may lead to napping during the day, which can disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle and make it harder to fall asleep at night.
4. Associated Conditions: OSA is often associated with other conditions such as restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), all of which can further disrupt sleep and contribute to insomnia.

Daytime Symptoms

Sometimes it’s difficult to notice what your partner is doing in their sleep as you yourself are asleep at the same time. It’s therefore important to know the potential daytime effects to look out for that may point towards sleep apnea.

The cumulative effect of poor sleep quality and reduced restorative sleep due to sleep apnea leads to significant daytime consequences, including: 

• Excessive daytime tiredness
• Impaired cognitive function
• Reduced alertness
• Poor concentration
• Memory issues
• Irritability/mood swings

These daytime symptoms are primarily due to the repetitive interruptions in sleep and the resultant poor sleep quality. There are several drivers of these symptoms:

• Frequent Arousals: The constant cycle of waking and resuming sleep fragments the sleep architecture, preventing the individual from reaching and maintaining the deeper, restorative stages of sleep (stage 3 sleep and REM sleep).
• Reduced REM Sleep: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is crucial for cognitive functions, mood regulation, and overall restorative sleep. OSA often disrupts REM sleep more than other sleep stages as this is when your muscles are at their most relaxed, leading to a deficit in this critical sleep stage and contributing to fatigue and tiredness.
• Oxygen Desaturation: Repeated drops in blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) during apnoeic episodes can affect brain function and overall energy levels.
• Sympathetic Nervous System Activation: The body’s response to repeated episodes of airway obstruction includes activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), which can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure. This chronic stress response can result in fatigue.
• Poor Sleep Efficiency: The overall efficiency of sleep (the proportion of time spent asleep compared to the time spent in bed) is reduced in individuals with OSA. Poor sleep efficiency means that even if an individual spends a long time in bed, the actual amount of restorative sleep obtained is insufficient.

When To Get a Sleep Study

If your partner, yourself, or anyone you know exhibits some or all of the above symptoms, it is highly likely they suffer from sleep apnea to some extent and it would be wise for them to have a sleep study conducted to confirm a diagnosis so they may begin the journey towards treatment and getting back to performing and feeling their best. 

Home Sleep offers the easiest and quickest high quality polysomnography sleep studies to determine the prevalence and severity of sleep apnea for anyone, anywhere in Australia. Our sleep apnea experts talk you through your results and can help guide you in finding the best treatment option for you.

Sleep Apnea can lead to a range of health problems and increase the risk of serious medical conditions. Effectively managing and treating sleep apnea, typically through interventions like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliances, lifestyle changes or surgery can help improve sleep quality, reduce the risk of developing potentially serious health issues and improve daytime functionality.