What is EDS related to sleep apnea?

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) related to sleep apnea is more than just being exhausted during the day. It's a different kind of tired.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness is a real medical condition associated with sleep apnea that may leave you feeling drowsy or cause you to fall asleep when you shouldn't during the day. This can lead to problems with work, school, activities and hobbies, and even your relationships.
In clinical studies, nearly 3 out of 4 people with sleep apnea experienced Excessive Daytime Sleepiness before receiving a CPAP*

Does Excessive Daytime Sleepiness related to sleep apnea make you feel like you're missing out on game day?

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The link between sleep apnea and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is the most common form of sleep apnea and occurs when your airway repeatedly becomes blocked despite efforts to breathe. This can cause shallow breathing, or your breathing to repeatedly stop while you're asleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night. Sleep apnea is not just a nighttime problem—its impact may be felt during the day, even when CPAP helps you sleep through the night.
When the upper airway is blocked, it creates a cycle of abnormal breathing and sleep interruption. Research suggests that this cycle may harm the parts of the brain that control feeling awake or sleepy. This is where Excessive Daytime Sleepiness comes in: sleep apnea may be changing the way your brain sends signals that keep you awake during the day, which may be causing your Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.
Link between sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness icon
CPAP is one tool to help manage your sleep apnea, but it may not always help you feel rested during the day. One study showed that 1 out of 3 people with sleep apnea who were compliant with their CPAP still experienced Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.
In addition, some people may experience Excessive Daytime Sleepiness due to other factors, such as a chronic loss of sleep and various health conditions. Talk to your doctor to determine the cause of your Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.
If you think you or a loved one may have Excessive Daytime Sleepiness related
to sleep apnea, talk to your doctor today.
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*CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure.
Throughout this site, we refer to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as sleep apnea. This site does not address Central Sleep Apnea.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) related to sleep apnea is more than just being sleepy during the day
ES, sometimes called daytime sleepiness disorder, is a real medical condition that affects many people with sleep apnea. ES related to sleep apnea may cause you to feel drowsy or fall asleep when you shouldn’t during the day, leading to problems with work, school, activities and hobbies, and even your relationships.

You’re not alone—
Many people suffer
from ES related to
sleep apnea

3 out of 4 people with sleep apnea experience ES

The link between sleep apnea and daytime ES

Sleep apnea is not just a nighttime problem—its impact may be felt during the day, even when CPAP helps you sleep through the night.
Sleep apnea creates a cycle of abnormal breathing and sleep interruption. Researchers believe that this cycle harms the parts of the brain that control whether you feel awake or sleepy, interrupting what is known as the sleep-wake cycle. This is where ES comes in: you feel sleepy during the day because the brain is telling the body it’s time to sleep.
Link between sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness icon
CPAP is one tool to help manage your sleep apnea, but it may not always help you feel rested during the day. Even if you’re not perfect at using your CPAP, ES related to sleep apnea is not your fault. 3 out of 10 people who use their CPAP correctly still have ES related to sleep apnea during the day.