There’s no substitute for a good night’s sleep, but if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), getting a good night’s sleep is easier said than done.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway collapses intermittently at night, which causes people to stop breathing during their sleep. As a result, “people will enter into a lighter stage of sleep or completely wake up,” says Jose Mendez, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center for Nuvance Health in Danbury, Connecticut. These awakenings can occur anywhere from 5 to 30 or more times per hour.
Because people with sleep apnea tend to sleep poorly, they often have extreme daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Not only are they sleepy, but they can also have trouble concentrating and experience mood problems such as depression.
Knowing if you have sleep apnea can help you tweak your lifestyle for more energy and better sleep.
An estimated 10 to 30 percent of U.S. adults may have sleep apnea. Although the condition is common, it often goes unrecognized and undiagnosed, says Dr. Mendez.
Snoring may be the most well-known symptom of sleep apnea, but it’s not the only one. Other symptoms include:
Gasping or choking during sleep
Experiencing pauses when you breathe at night (often, a partner will point this out)
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Waking up feeling unrefreshed
Morning headaches
Difficulty concentrating
Memory problems
Mood issues
Waking up throughout the night to go to the bathroom
If you have any of these symptoms, or have newly-diagnosed atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and high blood pressure with or without daytime sleepiness, it’s important to talk to your doctor about the possibility of sleep apnea, says Mendez. Women often have insomnia but not snoring, and some people get tipped off that they might have a sleep problem because of an activity tracker like a Fitbit, he says.
Bottom line: Be open to the possibility of sleep apnea, even if you don’t think you're a “typical” candidate for the condition. For example, while being overweight is a top risk factor for sleep apnea, even people at a healthy weight can be at risk. Around 20 percent of children may also have sleep apnea.
If your doctor suspects you have sleep apnea, he or she can then order you an at-home sleep apnea test, which eliminates the need to go to a sleep center to be analyzed, says Mendez. It’s far more convenient and accessible to patients. “Getting this test could potentially be a lifesaving decision,” he says.
If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, the right treatment can help you sleep better and shake off daytime sleepiness. You may be advised to make lifestyle changes, or your doctor may recommend an oral or dental device (fitted through a qualified dentist) or ask you to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, a mask that helps keep your airway open overnight.
For people with both moderate-to-severe sleep apnea and obesity, the FDA-approved prescription medication Zepbound (tirzepatide) may help reduce body weight and, in turn, improve breathing. The best choice for you depends on the severity of your sleep apnea, your insurance coverage, and the availability of experts in your area.
What you don’t want to do is self-treat sleep apnea with over-the-counter or online dental devices. These products are not only not recommended but can also cause harm, says Mendez. Certain dental products, for example, may damage your teeth, he says.
With proper treatment, you can expect your daytime sleepiness to fade and your energy levels to rise. “Symptoms improve quickly — in a matter of days to a week or two,” says Mendez. “For patients with severe apnea, just one night can be a dramatic change in how they feel and function during the day,” he says.
In addition to seeking out a sleep apnea treatment, you can also fight next-day fatigue with these strategies to help you sleep better.
1. Sleep on Your Side
People with mild cases of sleep apnea may just need to sleep on their side, a position that helps keep the airway open, says Mendez. You can help prevent yourself from rolling onto your back at night by propping a body pillow against your back or even wearing a T-shirt with a tennis ball attached to the back.
2. Lose Weight
“For a great majority of patients, losing weight tends to help with sleep apnea,” says Mendez, who explains that excess fat can obstruct the airway. Even losing a small amount of weight was shown to decrease people’s risk of having their sleep apnea worsen by 80 percent, according to past research that followed the progress of 47 study participants over five years. In some cases, the authors noted, the participants who lost weight and kept it off were able to fully eliminate sleep apnea. (Weight loss won’t help everyone, of course, as thin and normal weight people get sleep apnea, too.)
3. Seek Out Insomnia Treatments
Sleep apnea is also linked to insomnia, a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling (and staying) asleep.
To combat insomnia, Mendez recommends limiting caffeine, avoiding screens at night, and not looking at the clock. If you’re tossing and turning, get out of bed and do a calming activity before trying to fall asleep again. You should also be evaluated for other conditions that can affect sleep, such as leg movement disorders, anxiety, and depression.
4. Eat an Energy-Boosting Diet
One of the best ways to rev up your energy is by eating the right foods. Opt for healthy choices such as fresh fruits and vegetables and cut out energy-sapping fare like candy, soda, and other sugar-laden drinks. They may give you a temporary buzz but will leave you with an energy crash shortly afterward.
5. Avoid Alcohol
A glass of wine or bottle of beer may help you drift off at night, but that nightcap can worsen sleep apnea. “Alcohol affects the muscle tone in your upper airway, making your palate floppy, so it’s more likely to close up and collapse,” says Mendez. You should also try to avoid taking sedatives, such as benzodiazepines, which may worsen the number of apnea episodes you have at night.
6. Stay Hydrated
If you have sleep apnea, you’re at risk for becoming dehydrated at night. One reason is that your body loses fluid when you open your mouth to breathe.
And if your apnea shortens your sleep, you may be especially parched. Case in point: Sleeping six hours at night is associated with a higher risk of dehydration compared with logging eight hours of shut-eye. (Researchers think one possible reason inadequate sleep may be linked to dehydration has to do with the fact that a hormone called vasopressin, which makes sure our bodies don’t lose too much water while we sleep, is released in increasing amounts in the later stage of the sleep cycle.)
Downing a large amount of water before bed will lead to middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, so stay hydrated by regularly sipping on H20 throughout the day.
7. Get Moving
When you’re running low on energy, exercise may be the last thing you want to do, but a good workout is exactly what you need. Exercise helps battle fatigue and has the added bonus of improving your sleep by helping you relax at night, says Mendez.
If you have sleep apnea, try to do both aerobic exercise and strength training to help improve your sleep quality and lessen daytime fatigue. Research suggests this combo may tone the muscles in the upper airway, preventing collapse; reduce fluid accumulation in the neck, which can block breathing ability; and lessen inflammation.
8. Quit Smoking
Smokers (even those without sleep apnea) tend to sleep less, take longer to fall asleep, and have poorer sleep quality compared with nonsmokers. This is likely because nicotine disrupts your sleep-wake cycle, and may also apply to vaping. Smokers who have sleep apnea can fare even worse. Additionally, the smoke itself (whether it be cigarettes, cigars, marijuana, or vaping) can irritate the upper airway, making snoring and sleep apnea worse. Quitting smoking will stop lung damage and may make it easier to do things like walk up the stairs without shortness of breath in as little as two weeks after quitting.
9. Reevaluate Your Treatment Plan
If you’re actively treating sleep apnea and continuing to battle fatigue, you’re not alone. Continuing daytime sleepiness still affects an estimated of 9 to 22 percent of individuals treated with CPAP. The researchers suggested sticking to CPAP therapy, if you’re using it; improving your sleep habits, which are worth another look; asking your doctor if any of your medications are interfering with your sleep; and figuring out if you have another underlying condition that’s contributing to your fatigue, such as diabetes or hypothyroidism. You should also consider being evaluated for other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy or restless legs syndrome.
Together, you’ll get to the bottom of it — and feel energized in the future.
If you have trouble sleeping, there is a chance you might have sleep apnea even if you are at a healthy weight and don’t snore.
Eating healthily, exercising, quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol, and staying hydrated can greatly improve breathing for those with obstructive sleep apnea.
CPAP therapy can be highly effective for managing sleep apnea, but if you continue to feel fatigued during the day, reevaluate your treatment plan with a healthcare provider. .
Overcoming sleep apnea fatigue takes time, but with the right approach, you can work toward better sleep and enhanced quality of life.
