Picture this: you wake up after sleeping for eight hours but feeling like you haven’t slept at all. You’re exhausted and struggling to focus during your 10AM meeting even though your sleep tracking app shows you got plenty of rest.
This is what millions of Americans face daily living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). What’s more: while millions suffer from this not-so-silent disorder, more than 80% of those who have OSA remain undiagnosed.
Understanding Obstructive Sleep Apnea
OSA occurs when breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night while someone is sleeping. This can lead to snoring, gasping for air, and microawakenings that someone might not even be aware of. Usually a bed partner or friend is the one to politely (or maybe not so politely) wake them up and point out their symptoms.
What most people might not be aware of is that sleep apnea doesn’t just affect the person with the condition – it can affect almost everyone in their life.
The Reality of Living with Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
You wake up in the morning and check your health app on your phone. It says you got 8 hours and 22 minutes of sleep, but you are still exhausted. How is this possible?
We know that up to 46% of patients with at least moderate OSA experience excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which can make daily activities feel overwhelming. This constant state of exhaustion can start to impact many areas of life including:
- Difficulty concentrating on a work task, or even a conversation
- Declining invitation to events with family and friends
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times such as, during an event, at the movies, or even worse, while driving.
Chris, an Ognomy Sleep patient, had an eye opening experience to share. “I was driving and the next thing I knew I was in the oncoming lane and don’t even remember getting there. I nodded off while I was driving. My energy was down, my strength was starting to decrease, and my weight had started to increase.”
How Sleep Apnea Impacts Relationships and Social Life
OSA doesn’t just affect your sleep or energy levels; it can have a profound impact on your relationships and social life. The prevalence of mood disorders is significantly higher in individuals with OSA – 22% compared to the general population’s 9%. Mood disorders can lead to self-isolation and withdrawal from the relationships that provide comfort and support.
There can also be social embarrassment with OSA. Many people might start to ask themselves: Should I take that weekend trip with my friends? Will my snoring affect this new romantic relationship? These are reasonable concerns to have when you are unsure how to navigate the situation. Even in an established relationship, about 41% of people with sleep apnea sleep apart from their spouse at least once a month. This can lead to a strain on relationships, both romantic and platonic.
How Sleep Apnea Affects Work Performance
Everyone goes to work wanting to do their best. But, undiagnosed sleep apnea might be sabotaging your efforts. The constant fatigue can lead to dozing during meetings, struggles with decision-making on an upcoming project, workplace accidents. In fact, the odds of a workplace accident was found to be nearly double in workers with OSA. For sure, everyone has days where they are ‘off’ at work as we are all human. But those who have moderate to severe OSA were three times more likely to lose their job involuntarily compared to those without OSA. So the impact that OSA can have on your professional career can be serious.
Life After Sleep Apnea Treatment
While OSA can negatively impact life, there are treatment options that help manage the symptoms to alleviate some of these concerns.
Within weeks of beginning CPAP therapy or other treatments for sleep apnea, people may start to experience newfound energy levels, allowing them to once again enjoy the things they used to. In one study, anxiety and depression symptoms significantly improved after three months of CPAP treatment. Relationships that were experiencing “sleep divorce” are now sharing the same bed again. As we say at Ognomy Sleep, quiet spouse, happy house!
It can be hard to ask for help, or be open with your friends and family about what you are dealing with. But, having a solid support system is a great predictor on adherence to treatment. Treatment for OSA can take time to get used to, and time to start to feeling the benefits. But for those who stick with treatment, great long-term health benefits are possible to attain.
What’s Next?
Now you know that sleep apnea affects more than just you and your sleep. It can impact your relationships, your mental health, and even your career. OSA is easy to test for to see if it could be an underlying factor to some of the symptoms you are experiencing. At Ognomy Sleep, we offer home sleep tests so you are able to complete the test from the comfort of your bed and meet with a sleep specialist to discuss your results and treatment options that are available to you. We are here to help remove any barriers that might be affecting your sleep and your day-to-day life. Schedule an appointment today.
