--- title: Sleep Apnea in Women, and Why It's Underdiagnosed description: Experts agree that women with sleep apnea are less likely to be diagnosed than men. Find out what OSA looks like in women and why it's often missed. image: https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hub/299691/file-1774310044.jpg --- **[![ASMS_logo_shadow_round](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png?width=200&name=ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png "ASMS_logo_shadow_round")](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/)** **Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc.** The Sleep Experts`®` (877) 775-3377 ## Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ### *We believe that education is the first step to finding better sleep. Our articles educate people on sleep news, sleep disorders, and sleep care to help them achieve better health and live better lives. * *Thanks for joining the conversation.* ## [Sleep Apnea in Women, and Why It's Underdiagnosed ](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/sleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed) Posted by [Julia Steele Rodriguez](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/author/julia-steele-rodriguez) Find me on: [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/julia.steele818) [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasteele) [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/juliasteelerod) Oct 8, 2014 12:00:00 PM ![women-sleep-apnea](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hub/299691/file-1774310044.jpg?width=198&height=292&name=file-1774310044.jpg) Picture the typical person with sleep apnea. Odds are, you just thought of a man. But studies show that **almost one in two sleep apnea patients is a woman**. How likely are women to have this disorder…and how often are they treated?    ### **The Gender Gap ** It is true that women are less prone to sleep apnea than men, but this doesn't mean that they're not at risk. According to the [American Academy of Sleep Medicine](http://www.aasmnet.org/resources/factsheets/sleepapnea.pdf), at least 2% of women suffer from [obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/types), compared to 4% of men. However, the rate of female diagnoses for the disorder is disproportionately low: about [1 woman per 2-3 men](http://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/women-and-sleep-apnea). Why are women so underrepresented? One side of the discrepancy is mental: sleep apnea is often portrayed as a man’s disorder. Historically, sleep apnea was considered an issue that afflicted mainly men and occurred only rarely in women. In fact, studies from the 1970s and 1980s suggested a ratio of prevalence of 1 to 60.Research focused on male subjects and therefore produced a list of symptoms tailored to men.  Another side of the issue is that properly diagnosing women is just more challenging. Women tend to present more ambiguous symptoms, which can lead to misdiagnosis along the lines of anemia, depression, diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, or hormonal changes during menopause.  Furthermore, experts suspect that women are less likely to report relevant symptoms, such as snoring.    ### **What are the risk factors and symptoms of sleep apnea in females?** One of the biggest risk factors is common to both sexes: obesity. Post-menopausal women are more than [three times as likely](http://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/women-and-sleep-apnea/page/0%2C2/) to have sleep apnea. Pregnant women may also find themselves at higher risk (for more information, see our blog posts on [sleep and pregnancy](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/sleepbetterblog/topic/sleep-during-pregnancy)). Symptoms most often found in females include headaches or swollen feet upon awakening, snoring (though often more subtly than in men), fatigue and daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and frequent awakening during the night.  Studies have also shown that women are more susceptible to negative health effects resulting from sleep apnea. A [study at UCLA](http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/sleep-apena-study-uncovers-more-248781) found that the heart rate of women with sleep apnea was less likely to adjust during physical activity than that of men with OSA, which could indicate that females are more vulnerable to heart conditions. Other studies found women to be at higher rest of [inflammation, hypertension](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201312/women-sleep-apnea-and-heart-health-more-connections), and [dementia](http://www.dementiatoday.com/sleep-apnea-may-raise-dementia-risk-in-women/). ### **I’m a woman; how can I diagnose and/or treat my sleep apnea? ** If you think you are showing telltale symptoms, make sure to talk to your doctor about the possibility of having sleep apnea. He may prescribe a sleep study, which should determine if you indeed have the condition. [CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/equipment) therapy should completely alleviate the symptoms. (For a more detailed breakdown of sleep apnea treatment, see our [10 Steps to Treating your Sleep Apnea Infographic](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/10-steps-to-treating-sleep-apnea-infographic).) There is some good news for female patients: new auto-adjusting CPAP technology is coming out that is more tailored to women’s apnea patterns. Read about the innovation [here](http://www.resmed.com/content/dam/resmed/global/documents/articles/McArdle_AfH_ATS_2014.pdf?utm_source=September-Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Treatment-algorithm-for-her&utm_campaign=Night-Post-eNewsletter&spMailingID=9535279&spUserID=NjI2NjkyMjkwMjIS1&spJobID=381983837&spReportId=MzgxOTgzODM3S0). ### Are you a woman with sleep apnea? Let us know how you identified your symptoms in the comments. Resources: [National Sleep Foundation](http://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/women-and-sleep-apnea), [British Snoring & Sleep Apnea Foundation](http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/snoring_%26_sleep_apnoea/women.php), [ABC News](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/01/11/sleep-apnea-hidden-illness-for-women/), [UCLA Newsroom](http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/sleep-apena-study-uncovers-more-248781), [Pyschology Today](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201312/women-sleep-apnea-and-heart-health-more-connections), [American Academy of Sleep Medicine](http://www.aasmnet.org/resources/factsheets/sleepapnea.pdf), [Dementia Today](http://www.dementiatoday.com/sleep-apnea-may-raise-dementia-risk-in-women/) Photo Credit: [M. Dolly](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/)  Topics: [Sleep Apnea](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-apnea), [Women and Sleep](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/women-and-sleep) ## Share this blog post: [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Sleep%20Apnea%20in%20Women%2C%20and%20Why%20It%27s%20Underdiagnosed%20) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fsleep-apnea-in-women-and-why-its-underdiagnosed%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Subscribe to Email Updates Search our blog Search ### Posts by Topic - [Children and Sleep (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/children-and-sleep) - [Coffee (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/coffee) - [CPAP Alternatives (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-alternatives) - [CPAP Supplies (9)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-supplies) - [CPAP Treatment (25)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-treatment) - [Diabetes (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/diabetes) - [Doctor's Opinion (4)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/doctors-opinion) - [Economics of Sleep Medicine (15)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/economics-of-sleep-medicine) - [Good Sleep Habits (59)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/good-sleep-habits) - [Health Insurance (20)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/health-insurance) - [Heart Disease (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/heart-disease) - [Insomnia (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/insomnia) - [Job-Related Sleep Disorders (7)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/job-related-sleep-disorders) - [Kids and Sleep (20)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/kids-and-sleep) - [Narcolepsy (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/narcolepsy) - [Preparing for your sleep study (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/preparing-for-your-sleep-study) - [Sex and Sleep (7)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sex-and-sleep) - [Sleep and Exercise (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-and-exercise) - [Sleep and Society (41)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-and-society) - [Sleep Apnea (60)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-apnea) - [Sleep Business (3)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-business) - [Sleep Disorders (30)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-disorders) - [Sleep Studies (30)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-studies) - [Telemedicine (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/telemedicine) - [Treating Sleep Apnea (29)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/treating-sleep-apnea) - [Women and Sleep (14)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/women-and-sleep) ### Most viewed posts ### Recent Posts **Contact Us:** Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. Corporate Office 17835 Ventura Blvd. Suite 300 Encino, CA 91316 Phone (877) 775-3377 Fax (877) 855-6227  [info@sleepdr.com](mailto:info@sleepdr.com) ## **Top Links:** [Frequently asked questions (FAQs) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/frequently-asked-questions)[Download Service Request Form (Rx) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/service_request_form)[Request medical records ](http://www.sleepdr.com/request-medical-records)[See a complete list of locations ](http://www.sleepdr.com/locations)[Schedule an appointment ](http://www.sleepdr.com/schedule)[Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ](http://www.sleepdr.com/sleepbetterblog)[Contact us](http://www.sleepdr.com/contact) **About Us:** Our mission is to empower sufferers of sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, to lead more fulfilling lives by improving their sleep. We believe that by caring for and educating our patients and diagnosing and treating their sleep disorders we can help them achieve better health. With 20 locations across California, we are the leading provider of in-center and in-home (HST) sleep studies, PAP therapeutic devices, and replacement PAP supplies. We are contracted with more than 300 medical groups and commercial health plans. We partner with independent physicians who are at the forefront of the field of sleep medicine and together we provide high-quality, affordable, result-oriented and patient-centric diagnostic and therapeutic sleep medicine services. 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