When you have sleep apnea, you experience episodes of breathing interruptions called apneas or hypopneas. These occur when the soft tissue of your throat collapses or restricts your airway, lowering blood oxygen levels and making you gasp or wake up. These episodes can happen five to 30 times per hour and disrupt your sleep patterns. They may also cause you to feel excessively tired and irritable during the day, and they can increase your risk of accidents such as car crashes and affect your performance at work or school.

Can You Die from Sleep Apnea? Understanding the Risks

Can you die from sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which can lead to serious health problems over time. It can contribute to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and heart disease. It can also increase your risk of stroke, especially if it’s untreated. It can also contribute to a higher risk of diabetes, which can be deadly. It can also cause abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias.

Less commonly, you might have central sleep apnea, which is when your brain stops sending the right signals to your breathing muscles to breathe. This usually happens because of issues with your respiratory control center, and it can also happen when you have a neuromuscular condition such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) or have had a stroke. This type of sleep apnea can be dangerous too, but it’s less likely to cause death than obstructive sleep apnea.…