Have Sleep Apnea Or Suspect You Do? Certain Pillows Might Help

Sleep apnea can have untold consequences even in your waking hours. The good news? The condition is treatable.

The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.

Sleep apnea — a disorder in which one’s breathing is interrupted for seconds or minutes at a time during sleep — affects people of all ages, genders and body types, according to Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, a sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Yet more than 80% of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed, she said.

“The most common symptom of sleep apnea is loud, persistent snoring,” Gurubhagavatula noted. However, because of the unconscious nature of sleep, it can be tricky to determine whether you snore, much less experience sleep apnea episodes, unless a family member, roommate or partner notices. However, if you notice yourself waking up gasping or choking, or even frequently using the bathroom at night, these can all constitute sleep apnea symptoms, too.

The interruptions in breathing that occur with sleep apnea “lead to frequent drops in blood oxygen levels, severely disrupting sleep quality,” explained Chelsie Rohrscheib, a neuroscientist and head sleep expert at Wesper. The consequences of such diminished sleep quality can be dire, affecting daytime hours and the broader constitution of one’s life emphasized Gurubhagavatula.

“For about half of those with sleep apnea, symptoms worsen when sleeping on their back,” explained Rohrscheib. This is called positional sleep apnea, she noted, and occurs because sleeping on your back can actually block your airway. Specifically, gravity can cause your tongue to fall into the throat during sleep, obscuring the airway, both experts said.