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Sleep Apnea and Middle Age Burnout: Are You Just Stressed - or Undiagnosed?

July 24, 2025

Sleep Apnea and Middle Age Burnout: Are You Just Stressed—or Undiagnosed?

If you’re in your 40s or 50s and feeling utterly drained, you might put it down to work stress, family commitments or simply “getting older.” Middle age often comes with a full plate, and it’s easy to assume that exhaustion, irritability and brain fog are just part of the deal. But what if it’s not just burnout? What if something else - like undiagnosed sleep apnea - is silently draining your energy every night?

Sleep apnea is a condition where your airway repeatedly collapses or becomes blocked during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for short periods.1 These interruptions can happen dozens of times an hour without you even realising.1 Each time it happens, your brain jolts you awake just enough to resume breathing, pulling you out of deep, restorative sleep.1 The result? You wake up feeling like you’ve barely slept, even if you’ve been in bed for eight hours.1

Here’s the tricky part: the symptoms of sleep apnea often mimic stress and burnout. Constant fatigue, poor concentration, low mood, irritability, weight gain and even reduced libido are all common signs.1 That “wired but tired” feeling you chalk up to your job might actually be your body struggling to cope with chronic sleep disruption.

And it’s not just about feeling tired. Untreated sleep apnea can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.2 It can also impact your work performance, relationships and overall quality of life.3,4 In short, it’s a health issue hiding in plain sight - often dismissed as “just stress.”

So how do you tell the difference? One red flag is loud snoring, often reported by partners.1 Other signs include waking up gasping or choking, excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches and poor concentration.1 If you’ve been pushing through, thinking you just need to “try harder” or drink more coffee, it might be time to consider another explanation.

The good news? Sleep apnea is treatable. CPAP therapy involves a bedside device which gently blows air through a mask, keeping your airway open and eliminating symptoms.5

Bottom line: If you’ve been feeling exhausted, foggy and “burnt out” for longer than you care to admit, don’t just assume it’s stress. It might be your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong. Speak to your doctor about your sleep and consider a sleep study. Better rest might not just change your nights—it could transform your days too.

How Sove CPAP Clinic Can Help

Founded in 2008, Sove CPAP Clinic has grown to become a leading provider of respiratory and sleep services and products in Australia, with over 60 clinics nationwide. Our comprehensive clinical team includes Respiratory & Sleep Specialists, Sleep Technologists, and CPAP Consultants, ensuring that you receive comprehensive and personalised care. All medical procedures, including sleep studies and lung function testing, are bulk billed to all Australians, with minimal wait time.

If you would like to speak to a Respiratory & Sleep Physician, book a bulk-billed sleep study, or seek advice for your sleep apnea, you can reach us at 1300 76 29 39 or info@thecpapclinic.com.au.

ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. CPAP is used for Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment. When considering whether a sleep study or CPAP is right for you, speak to your doctor. Medicare criteria and T&Cs apply.

References

  1. Suni, Eric, and Abhinav Singh. “Sleep Apnea | National Sleep Foundation.” Sleepfoundation.org, 2019, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea.
  2. Surani, Salim R. “Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: Why Not Address Them Together?” World Journal of Diabetes, vol. 5, no. 3, 2014, p. 381, https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v5.i3.381.
  3. Mulgrew, A.T., et al. “The Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Daytime Sleepiness on Work Limitation.” Sleep Medicine, vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2007, pp. 42–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2007.01.009.
  4. Dr Sam Talpis. “Snoring and Sleep Apnoea: Effects on Relationships.” SleepWise Clinic, 24 Apr. 2018, sleepwise.com.au/snoring-and-sleep-apnoea-affect-relationships/. Accessed 23 July 2025.
  5. McCrimmon, Katie Kerwin, and UCHealth. “Overnight Cure for Poor Sleep: The Benefits of CPAP.” UCHealth Today, 2 June 2020, www.uchealth.org/today/benefits-of-cpap-for-sleep-apnea/.