Why So Many People Have Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
I was just surfing to reddit in my free time when I discovered the fact that one of the most overlooked conditions that people in their middle ages have is Sleep Apnea. I got curious and this is what I learned.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder/condition that interrupts your breathing while you sleep by either repeatedly stopping and starting your breathing and/or simply reducing airflow, causing you to not get enough oxygen. Many people have it for years without realizing it because it happens during you sleep.
There are two main types of sleep apnea. The first is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which occurs when the muscles in your throat relax too much and physically block your airway. The second is Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), which occurs when your brain temporarily fails to send the proper signals to the muscles responsible for breathing.
Common Symptoms
- Loud snoring
- Loss of breath during sleep and upon waking up
- Excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue
- Morning headaches or waking up with a dry mouth
- Insomia
- other related symptoms
What is so dangerous about Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is dangerous because, as mentioned prior, it is a condition that refers to the repeated starting and stopping of your breathing. This makes your oxygen levels fall below optimal and this invites a whole lot of other problems like an increased likelihood of experiencing a stroke, heart attack, and other serious problems.
In plain English, sleep apnea results not only to physical and mental exhaustion, it also increases the risk of developing other health conditions.
How do we stop or prevent Sleep Apnea?
Well... Data shows that individuals who has the following factors is more at risk than the average man:
- Excess body fat (around the chest and neck)
- Being male (though women can certainly develop it too)
- Age
- Large neck circumference
- Family history
- Smoking
- Alcohol before bed
Aside from family history, being male, your age, and having a big ass neck, sleep apnea is preventable and can be cured by tackling the other factors.
Reduce Your body fat
Reducing body fat via Exercise
If it's simply the act of losing body fat, walking is the king of all exercises. It's low impact and great for your mental health.
I do, however, recommend adding resistance training to your exercise routine in order to build muscle. Gaining muscle is very beneficial because it requires more calories to maintain than fat does, meaning you'll naturally increase your metabolism and be able to consume more of your favorite foods and drinks.
Reducing body fat via Diet
One diet, or what I like to call it, lifestyle change, that has and still is working for me was a mixture of low-carb diet and intermittent fasting (I would only eat 2 or 1 times a day depending on how much I eat). This way I can keep eating like a king each meal.
Marshall Vulta
Dealing with Smoke addiction
There isn't a single "best" way to quit. Some people succeed via cold turkey, while others do better by gradually cutting down smoking in their life. Nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges can also help reduce withdrawal symptoms without reinforcing the habit. If you've struggled to quit before, consider talking to a professional, who may recommend medications or a smoking cessation program.
As for unorthodox advice, from personal experience, I find it easier to quit smoking by replacing the addiction with a caffeine addiction. Every time I had an urge to smoke, I'd just drink water, and if I feel like I can't take it anymore, I drink coffee, which in the end resulted in me having caffeine dependence.
If you are fine with that, then you may give it a try, but this is just bro science at this point, you are responsible for your own health.
Marshall Vulta
Drinking Alcohol Before Sleeping
There is nothing much to say other than be mindful of the fact that drinking alcohol then sleeping moments after increases the likelihood of sleep apnea.
Other ways to reduce the likelihood of experiencing Sleep Apnea
Sleep on your sides
Don't sleep on your back so that you do not put pressure on you airways. Instead sleep on your sides. If you are a type of person to roll around when sleeping, if possible, put your back on a wall or put a pillow on your back while sideways.
REMINDER
IF you ever wake up gasping for air, wake up with headaches, or still feel exhausted after a full night's sleep, at that point, GO talk to a healthcare professional.
For more information about sleep apnea, visit these websites:
Jason Wilbanks
Copyright ©2026 by Marshall Vulta
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