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Always Tired? How Sleep Apnea Steals Your Daytime Alertness

June 6, 2025

Do you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all — even after a full eight hours in bed? Do you find yourself yawning through meetings, zoning out in conversations, or struggling to concentrate at work? If so, sleep apnea might be quietly draining your energy and focus — without you even realising it.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more than just snoring. It’s a serious sleep disorder where the airway becomes repeatedly blocked during the night, causing breathing to stop and start. These pauses may last for 10 seconds or longer and can happen dozens or even hundreds of times per night. As a result, your brain is pulled out of deep, restorative sleep over and over again, often without you being aware.1

This disruption has a ripple effect that carries into your day. One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness.2 But many people don’t describe it as “sleepiness” per se. Instead, they might say they feel flat, foggy, or fatigued. You might struggle with staying awake in passive settings, like watching TV, reading, or sitting in traffic — and yet still not connect the dots back to your sleep.

But the impact of OSA goes beyond tiredness. It can impair your ability to think clearly, make decisions, remember information, and stay focused.3 Studies have shown that people with untreated sleep apnea perform significantly worse on tasks involving memory, attention, and information processing speed.3 These cognitive effects can show up in everyday life as forgetfulness, clumsiness, or difficulty staying on top of work — even in otherwise healthy people.

What’s more, the consequences extend to safety. Excessive sleepiness increases the risk of accidents, especially on the road. People with OSA have an up to sevenfold higher risk of motor vehicle accidents, largely due to drowsy driving.4 This makes sleep apnea not just a personal health issue but a public safety concern as well.

And in the workplace? Sleep-deprived brains are less productive. Research shows a clear link between untreated OSA and reduced work performance.5 If you’re constantly dragging yourself through the day, it’s not just “getting older” or “being busy.” It could be something treatable.

The good news? Help is available. OSA can be diagnosed through a simple at-home sleep study, and treatment can dramatically improve how you sleep and feel. CPAP therapy is the gold standard treatment and involves a bedside machine which gently blows air through a mask to keep your airway open, eliminating symptoms.6 Most people who get treated say they didn’t realise just how exhausted they were until they finally experienced proper rest.

If you're always tired, foggy, or forgetful — talk to your doctor. A proper night’s sleep might be the missing piece you’ve been searching for.

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. Devita, Maria, et al. “Cognitive and Motor Reaction Times in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Study Based on Computerized Measures.” Brain and Cognition, vol. 117, 1 Oct. 2017, pp. 26–32, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2017.07.002.
  2. Roure, Nuria, et al. “Daytime Sleepiness and Polysomnography in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients.” Sleep Medicine, vol. 9, no. 7, Oct. 2008, pp. 727–731, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2008.02.006.
  3. Gagnon, K., et al. “Cognitive Impairment in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” Pathologie Biologie, vol. 62, no. 5, Oct. 2014, pp. 233–240, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patbio.2014.05.015.
  4. Sanna, Antonio. “Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Motor Vehicle Accidents, and Work Performance.” Chronic Respiratory Disease, vol. 10, no. 1, 25 Jan. 2013, pp. 29–33, https://doi.org/10.1177/1479972312473134.
  5. Nena, Evangelia, et al. “Work Productivity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, vol. 52, no. 6, June 2010, pp. 622–625, https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0b013e3181e12b05.
  6. Andrade, Rafaela G. S., et al. “Nasal vs Oronasal CPAP for OSA Treatment: A Meta-Analysis.” Chest, vol. 153, no. 3, 1 Mar. 2018, pp. 665–674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2017.10.044.