What is obstructive sleep apnea, and do I have it?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when the soft tissues at the back of your throat relax during sleep and block your airway. Breathing stops, oxygen levels drop, and your brain briefly wakes you to restart the breath — often without you ever remembering it.

This can happen five times an hour in mild cases and more than thirty times an hour in severe cases. The result is fragmented, unrestorative sleep even when you have been in bed for eight hours.

The most common signs are loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, morning headaches, a dry mouth on waking, difficulty concentrating and falling asleep during the day. Partners usually notice the pauses in breathing before the patient does.

If any of that sounds familiar, start with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale on our FAQs page. A score of 10 or above is worth investigating with a sleep test — either through your GP or with our at-home Good Sleep Test.