There are at least a dozen reasons why women wake up with a headache, are stressed and anxious, or have trouble keeping their eyes open at work, no matter how well they think they slept: Menstruation, menopauseAnd motherhood – the list really goes on. But these symptoms, while vague, could actually stem from a health condition that was historically considered a “male disease”: Obstructive sleep apneaOr OSA.
If you instantly picture an older man napping on the couch, snoring like a lawnmower, you’re not alone. It wasn’t until the 1990s when researchers first realized that sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop repeatedly during sleep, often presents differently in women than in men. For starters, women with this condition may not snore.
There’s still a lot to discover about the biology behind these differences, but research suggests that hormonal fluctuations throughout life, differences in upper airway anatomy, and even social stigmas about how women He should Sleep likely plays a role.
“The disease itself has been defined in men,” explains Jennifer Martin, MD, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist and professor at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami. “The way men and women breathe while they sleep is not the same, and our definition of the disease does not take that into account.”
Although obstructive sleep apnea appears less common and is usually milder in women (at least before menopause), studies show that the consequences of the disease, if left untreated, can be similar, if not worse, to us, making it essential to know the signs and seek help. Here’s what we know about obstructive sleep apnea and its effect on women. Plus, experts explain how to advocate for the best care if you think you may have this condition.
How and why is sleep apnea different in women?
Sleep apnea is one of several conditions that fall under the umbrella of sleep-disordered breathing. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when your upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, making it difficult for air to reach your lungs, he says. Anita Valanjo Shilgikar, MD.MD, a sleep medicine physician at the University of Michigan Health and president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Symptoms of this condition, which were identified based on studies that included mostly men, include loud snoring and a dramatic voice. Gasping for air Where a person tries to continue breathing during sleep. But that’s often not the case for women, Dr. Shilgikar tells SELF. Instead, women with sleep apnea are more likely to have nightmares, wake up several times a night, have difficulty staying asleep, and deal with insomnia, which then causes symptoms like daytime fatigue, morning headaches, and mood swings. Women also experience hypopnea (shallow breaths with less oxygen flow), while men tend to have apnea (complete cessation of breathing).
