Sleep apnea can cause:
• Chronic sleepiness• Strokes
• Heart attacks
• Heartburn
• Morning headaches
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Impotence
Sleep apnea affects many aspects of daily life, including:
- excessive daytime sleepiness
- dry mouth
- morning headaches
- emotional instability
- poor coordination
- erectile dysfunction
- lowered libido
- poor concentration and memory problems
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, poor control of diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, stroke and even death.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Your body needs two things during the night (three, if you count back massages). It needs REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and it needs slow-wave sleep. To get into REM sleep, you need about 90 minutes of consistent sleep. So if you're waking up 10 times an hour, which is typical for people with sleep apnea, you're never getting into REM and won't wake up refreshed.
In the early stages of sleep apnea, there's no real damage to your body, except for occasional low periods of oxygen, which can kill some brain cells. But as the condition progresses, it leads to more serious issues, including hypertension.
The breathing stoppages cause your lungs to retain some carbon dioxide, which is what leads to the high blood pressure. You'll also be faced with excessive fatigue throughout the day, memory loss, and morning headaches.
Over time, sleep apnea can also increase your risk of stroke. In some cases, it can even trigger abnormal heartbeats and other cardiovascular events that cause death.

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YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
Sleep apnea can be quite serious. In addition to the detrimental effects it has on an individual’s energy level, memory, concentration, attention and mood, research has shown that there is a link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, heart failure, stroke and arrhythmias.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.