Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it isn’t a big deal. Sleep apnea can negatively impact health in profound ways. It can increase blood pressure and is associated with a greater risk of both Parkinson’s disease and dementia. This is because stopping breathing deprives the brain of oxygen and nutrients.
However, some daytime symptoms of sleep apnea can clue you in that you may have it as well. If so, it’s important to see your healthcare provider so you can be treated.
According to scientific research, people who are most at risk for sleep apnea are men, older adults and people with obesity. Nighttime symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, waking up with shortness of breath and restless sleep. There are daytime symptoms of sleep apnea too, which are listed below.
“The most common daytime symptom of sleep apnea is tiredness or fatigue,” reiterates Dr. Brooke Judd, MD, the Section Chief of Sleep Medicine at Dartmouth Health. “Sometimes this is severe sleepiness to the point that someone may unintentionally fall asleep during a conversation or while driving, but it doesn’t have to be that obvious."
2. Brain fog
Dr. Judd emphasizes that daytime fatigue resulting from sleep apnea often isn’t as pronounced as falling asleep behind the wheel or mid-conversation with someone. She says it can commonly look like brain fog. This means that if you’re having trouble thinking clearly, focusing or remembering things, you could have sleep apnea.
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This is because when breathing stops, blood oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide accumulates. This causes blood vessels around the brain to dilate, which causes increased intracranial pressure. According to the organization Sleep Apnea, between 10 and 30% of people with sleep apnea experience headaches.
4. High blood pressure
If the next time you get your blood pressure checked, it’s higher than it should be, you may want to consider whether it could be related to sleep apnea. As a scientific article in Cureus explains, decreased breathing during the night leads to temporarily low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in the body. This disruption can cause blood pressure to go up.
5. Low libido
If your libido has gone down, Dr. Paul says it could be due to sleep apnea. Scientific research shows that between the lack of oxygen flow and lack of sleep, sleep apnea can affect libido in both men and women, and can contribute to erectile dysfunction in men.
Is Shortness of Breath During the Day a Sign of Sleep Apnea?
Shortness of breath is more likely a symptom related to asthma, COPD, pneumonia, heart failure or lung cancer. To find out the cause, Dr. Paul says doctors will typically order tests such as an ECG, pulmonary function test, chest X-ray, CT scan and echocardiogram.
“Or it can be related to more general fatigue that can be seen with untreated obstructive sleep apnea," she notes.
“There are different kinds of sleep studies depending on the amount of information we are monitoring during sleep, but the minimum information is whether there is obstructed airflow and whether there are brief dips in the oxygen levels with these obstructions,” she says.
Dr. Paul says that once sleep apnea is treated, you can expect to feel more energized during the day. In fact, all of the five daytime signs of sleep apnea mentioned above should disappear. Never underestimate the power of good sleep.
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Sources
Sleep apnea. Mayo Clinic.Sӧnmez, I., Vo Dupuy, A., Yu, K. S., et al. (2025). Unmasking obstructive sleep apnea: Estimating prevalence and impact in the United States. Respiratory Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2025.108348.Obstructive Sleep Apnea. StatPearls.Dr. Suman Paul, MBBS, PhD, consultant respiratory physician located in the UK.Dr. Brooke Judd, MD, Section Chief of Sleep Medicine at Dartmouth Health.Khan, M. A. and Al-Jahdali, H. (2023). The consequences of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. Neurosciences Journal. 28(2):91-99.Sleep Apnea Headache. Sleep Apnea.Bangash, A., Wajid, F., Poolarcherla, R., et al. (2020). Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension: A Review of the Relationship and Pathogenic Association.Cureus. 12(5):e8241.Qin, H., Yang, M., Chen, X., et al. (2025). Association between obstructive sleep apnea and female sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 312(6):1871-1881.Gu, Y., Wu, C. J., Qin, F., et al. (2022). Erectile Dysfunction and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.766639 CPAP Machine. Cleveland Clinic.Hence then, the article about 5 sneaky daytime signs of sleep apnea according to doctors was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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