Sleep Apnea

10 Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea

Reviewed by Dhafer Salem, MD · July 12, 2026

Sleep apnea is common and very treatable — but it often goes undiagnosed for years, partly because the most telling signs happen while you're asleep. Here are ten signs worth paying attention to, and what to do if they sound familiar.

1. Loud, chronic snoring. Especially snoring that others notice night after night, or that's punctuated by silences.
2. Gasping or choking at night. Waking up gasping, or a partner witnessing you stop breathing, is a classic warning sign.
3. Waking up unrefreshed. Feeling exhausted after a full night in bed suggests your sleep quality — not just quantity — may be the problem.
4. Excessive daytime sleepiness. Nodding off at your desk, in meetings, or (dangerously) while driving.
5. Morning headaches. Frequent headaches on waking can be linked to overnight drops in oxygen.
6. Trouble concentrating or memory lapses. Fragmented sleep takes a toll on focus, mood, and memory.
7. Irritability or low mood. Poor sleep and mood are closely connected and can worsen each other.
8. Waking to use the bathroom often. Frequent nighttime bathroom trips can accompany sleep apnea.
9. High blood pressure. Hard-to-control blood pressure is associated with untreated obstructive sleep apnea.
10. Dry mouth or sore throat on waking. Often a sign of mouth-breathing during disrupted sleep.

One sign or several?

Having one of these on its own doesn't mean you have sleep apnea — but a cluster of them, especially loud snoring plus daytime sleepiness or witnessed breathing pauses, is worth taking seriously. You can read more in our guide to the signs of sleep apnea.

What to do next

The good news: you don't need an overnight sleep lab to find out. A home sleep apnea test lets you test in your own bed, with results interpreted by a board-certified sleep medicine physician in days. If sleep apnea is found, it's highly treatable — and treatment can improve your energy, focus, and long-term health.