Sleep Apnea Symptoms: What Men Should Know

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-disordered breathing condition in which the airway collapses repeatedly during sleep. Studies show it affects up to 4% of middle-aged men (Young et al., 1993) and nearly one in four men in some populations (Heinzer et al., 2015). A 2017 systematic review (Senaratna et al.) found OSA prevalence ranging from 9% to 38% in adults. Recognizing sleep apnea symptoms early can help you seek diagnosis and treatment before serious complications arise.

Why Men Are at Higher Risk

• Gender and hormones: Testosterone may contribute to airway collapsibility.
• Body habitus: Men often store weight around the neck and upper airway.
• Age: Risk rises after age 40.
• Lifestyle factors: Alcohol, smoking, and sedative use relax throat muscles.
• Anatomy: A large neck circumference (>17 inches in men) narrows the airway.

Knowing these factors can help you stay alert to early warning signs.

Common Nighttime Symptoms

1. Loud, chronic snoring
   – Interrupted by gasps or choking sounds
   – Often noticed by a bed partner
2. Witnessed breathing pauses
   – Apneas last 10 seconds or more
   – May occur dozens of times per hour
3. Gasping or choking awakenings
   – Sudden arousal with a feeling of suffocation
4. Restless or fragmented sleep
   – Frequent tossing and turning
   – Inability to reach deep, restorative sleep
5. Night sweats and excessive sweating
6. Frequent urination at night (nocturia)
7. Morning headaches
   – Due to low oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide levels

Even if you sleep alone, waking up gasping or with a dry mouth can hint at OSA.

Daytime Symptoms

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
  – Falling asleep during meetings, while driving, or watching TV
• Morning fatigue and unrefreshed feeling
• Difficulty concentrating or memory problems
• Irritability, mood swings, or depression
• Decreased libido or sexual dysfunction

Because men often attribute fatigue to stress or long work hours, these symptoms can be overlooked. If you experience several of them regularly, it’s time to pay closer attention.

How Severe Is Your Sleepiness?

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a quick questionnaire that scores your chance of dozing off in eight daily situations. Scores above 10 suggest abnormal sleepiness and may warrant a sleep evaluation.

Potential Health Consequences

Untreated OSA isn’t just about feeling tired. It elevates your risk of:

• High blood pressure and hypertension
• Heart arrhythmias and heart failure
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Occupational or driving accidents

Early recognition and treatment can lower these risks significantly.

Screening Yourself Online

If you’ve noticed multiple symptoms, consider doing a free, online symptom check for sleep apnea. While no online tool replaces a medical evaluation, it can help you gather information before talking to a professional.

Getting a Formal Diagnosis

1. Visit your doctor
   – Review your symptoms and risk factors
   – Discuss a home sleep test or referral to a sleep specialist
2. Polysomnography (sleep study)
   – Measures breathing, oxygen levels, brain waves, and muscle activity
3. Home sleep apnea test
   – Monitors breathing and oxygen at home
   – Less comprehensive but more convenient

Your doctor will use the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to classify severity:

• Mild: AHI 5–15 events/hour
• Moderate: AHI 15–30 events/hour
• Severe: AHI >30 events/hour

Treatment Options

Treatment aims to keep your airway open and improve sleep quality:

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
  – Gold standard; a mask delivers air pressure to splint the airway
• Oral appliances
  – Custom dental devices that advance the lower jaw
• Lifestyle changes
  – Weight loss, regular exercise, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol
• Positional therapy
  – Avoiding back-sleeping with special pillows or devices
• Surgery
  – Removing excess tissue or repositioning structures in the airway

Many men see dramatic improvements in energy, mood, and cardiovascular health once treatment begins.

Tips to Improve Sleep Hygiene

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
• Create a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom
• Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bed
• Elevate the head of your bed slightly
• Establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine

Good sleep habits can complement medical treatments.

When to Speak to a Doctor

If you experience any serious or life-threatening symptoms—such as gasping pauses that wake you multiple times a night, chest pain, or daytime sleepiness that affects your safety—seek medical attention promptly. Even “mild” OSA can worsen over time and contribute to chronic diseases.

Key Takeaways

• Men are at higher risk for OSA, especially after age 40 or with certain risk factors.
• Nighttime and daytime symptoms together point toward possible sleep apnea.
• Untreated OSA increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and accidents.
• A sleep study (in-lab or at home) provides a definitive diagnosis.
• Effective treatments include CPAP, oral appliances, lifestyle changes, and surgery.
• You can start with a free, online symptom check for sleep apnea, but always follow up with a healthcare professional.

If you recognize any of these sleep apnea symptoms in yourself or your partner, don’t wait. Speak to a doctor about your concerns and the next steps in diagnosis and treatment—your health and safety depend on it.