9 out of 10 women with sleep apnea don’t know they have it

If you’re a woman with undiagnosed sleep apnea, treatment can be a life changer, improving your energy level and enabling you to be your best self.¹

Sleep apnea can sap the life out of you and lead to serious health problems if it’s left untreated. And in women, that’s the case more often than not.¹

That’s why it’s important to know if your snoring, insomnia, tiredness or other symptoms could be warning signs of sleep apnea. A simple test can tell you if you’re at risk.

The stereotype of someone with a sleep disorder is a middle-aged, overweight man who snores loudly. But did you know that women also suffer from sleep disorders like sleep apnea.² The difference is, most women don’t know they’ve got it.

The reason why sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed in women is probably because the symptoms can be different to men, and doctors tend to treat them differently.

When a woman complains of common sleep apnea symptoms such as sleepiness, insomnia, morning headaches, fatigue, anxiety, irritability or mood problems, their doctor may treat their symptoms rather than looking beyond for another cause. But these are all symptoms of sleep apnea.³

5% of women have sleep apnea⁴

Sleep apnea is most commonly found in women who are overweight and/or menopausal, although younger and older women are also at risk, as are pregnant women.

Other factors associated with sleep apnea in women are high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia, anxiety, depression, heart failure, polycystic ovary disease and cognitive impairment.

If you have one or more of these conditions, you’re at higher risk of having sleep apnea, and could benefit from the right diagnosis and treatment.

Think you may have sleep apnea?

If you’re facing issues around sleep and daytime tiredness, and/or you have one or more of the risk factors, there’s a simple way to find out if you’re likely to have sleep apnea.

Take our free sleep assessment or consider a home sleep test.

Effective treatment of sleep apnea can help you to sleep properly and feel like your best self the next morning.

Are you interested in getting a better night's sleep?

There are so many reasons why it's important to strive for a better night's sleep. Not only can it help you feel better, but it could have positive effects on your overall health.

And both men and women might need some helpful advice on how to improve in this area. Busy lifestyles are increasingly seeing men and women suffering from sleeping disorders and not receiving the quality, restorative sleep required to function at their peak.

Quality sleep has a flow-on effect through the day.

The sleep specialists at ResMed have compiled helpful information to equip you with everything you need to know to get a better night's sleep.  

Download a free copy of our eBook, 'The Three Pillars of Health' which explores the impact of nutrition, sleep and exercise on your overall health and well-being.