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Sleep apnea: what the research actually says

The most under-diagnosed sleep disorder there is: roughly 936 million adults have it and the large majority have never been told.

All studies · 7

Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of obstructive sleep apnoea: a literature-based analysisBenjafield AV, Ayas NT, Eastwood PR, et al. · Lancet Respiratory Medicine 7(8):687–698 · 2019~936 million adults aged 30–69 have OSA worldwide; ~425 million moderate-to-severe.Increased prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in adultsPeppard PE, Young T, Barnet JH, Palta M, Hagen EW, Hla KM · American Journal of Epidemiology 177(9):1006–1014 · 2013Prevalence in US adults 30–70: ~26% of men and ~9–17% of women; rising with obesity.Defining phenotypic causes of obstructive sleep apnea. Identification of novel therapeutic targetsEckert DJ, White DP, Jordan AS, Malhotra A, Wellman A · American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 188(8):996–1004 · 2013OSA has anatomical and non-anatomical phenotypes (muscle responsiveness, arousal threshold, loop gain) — the basis of precision treatment.Relationship between overnight rostral fluid shift and obstructive sleep apnea in nonobese menRedolfi S, Yumino D, Ruttanaumpawan P, et al. · American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 179(3):241–246 · 2009Fluid moving from the legs to the neck when lying down narrows the airway — apnea without obesity (Galpin's tipped-glass analogy).STOP questionnaire: a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apneaChung F, Yegneswaran B, Liao P, et al. · Anesthesiology 108(5):812–821 · 2008Origin of the STOP-Bang screen; ≥3 'yes' answers = high sensitivity for moderate-severe OSA.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes in men with obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea with or without treatment with continuous positive airway pressure: an observational studyMarin JM, Carrizo SJ, Vicente E, Agusti AG · Lancet 365(9464):1046–1053 · 2005Untreated severe OSA tripled fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events over ~10 years; CPAP normalised the risk.Estimation of the clinically diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged men and womenYoung T, Evans L, Finn L, Palta M · Sleep 20(9):705–706 · 1997~82% of men and ~93% of women with moderate-to-severe apnea were undiagnosed — the numbers Galpin quotes.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the research say about sleep apnea?

~936 million adults aged 30–69 have OSA worldwide; ~425 million moderate-to-severe.

How do I track sleep apnea?

SleepShred logs it in about 20 seconds a day and then compares your nights with and without it, so you see the effect on your own sleep instead of the study average.

Is SleepShred free?

No. SleepShred Pro is $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with no free trial and no ads. Everything stays on your iPhone.

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SleepShred turns this research into a 20-second daily habit: log your night, see which of your own behaviours move your sleep, and screen for the disorders nobody diagnoses.

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.