Sleep Apnoea Symptoms:12 Signs YouShould Get Checked
Sleep apnoea is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in Australia. Many people live with it for years, writing the symptoms off as ordinary tiredness or “just snoring.” The reality: untreated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) triples your risk of high blood pressure, raises stroke and heart attack risk by around 30%, and makes you 2.5× more likely to be in a car crash.
If three or more of the symptoms below sound familiar, it is worth being checked.
Night-time symptoms
- Loud, persistent snoring — especially if your partner has moved to another room
- Witnessed pauses in breathing — your partner notices you stop breathing, then gasp or snort awake
- Waking up choking or gasping
- Restless, thrashing sleep — sheets twisted in the morning
- Frequent waking to urinate (nocturia) — often misattributed to age
- Dry mouth or sore throat on waking
- Night sweats with no clear cause
Daytime symptoms
- Morning headaches — particularly dull, frontal headaches that ease after an hour
- Excessive daytime sleepiness — falling asleep in meetings, in front of the TV, or behind the wheel
- Poor concentration and memory
- Irritability, low mood, or anxiety that doesn’t shift
- Reduced libido or erectile dysfunction
Symptoms in women are often missed
Women with sleep apnoea more often present with insomnia, anxiety, depression, and fatigue rather than loud snoring, and are frequently treated for those symptoms alone for years before the underlying OSA is identified.
Risk factors that increase your odds
- Being overweight (especially carrying weight around the neck and trunk)
- Male, age 40+
- Neck circumference > 17 inches (men) / 16 inches (women)
- Smaller jawbone, large tongue or tonsils
- Family history of sleep apnoea
- Nasal obstruction (deviated septum, chronic congestion)
- Post-menopause (women)
What to do next
- If you have any of the symptoms above, see your GP and ask for a referral for a sleep study. A sleep study is the only way to formally diagnose OSA.
- If you have already had a sleep study confirming mild, moderate, or severe OSA, book a free consultation with Snore Dentist to discuss whether an oral appliance is right for you.
- If you are not sure take our quick snoring quiz — it takes about a minute.
Ready to talk the Next step
This page is general information, not a medical diagnosis. Sleep apnoea must be diagnosed by a qualified sleep physician based on a sleep study.
We offer interest-free payment plans for snoring solutions.
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We accept all health funds for sleep apnoea treatment!
but we are preferred providers for the following health funds.
Want to findout more ?
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