Women may be missing out on sleep for this reason

Women may be missing out on quality sleep, and sleep apnea could be to blame. While men are often associated with this condition, women experience it too, and many are not receiving the necessary treatment.

A Fort Myers resident, Robin Collier, discovered she was gasping for air in her sleep.

“I was snoring a lot, and I always felt tired, and we actually went on a family vacation, and our daughter came up in the middle of the night and shook me and said mom you need to breathe,” said Collier.

Her condition worsened over time.

“I could get up at seven in the morning, and by 11, I felt exhausted,” said Collier.

A sleep study revealed she had severe sleep apnea, which did not surprise Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, a sleep specialist at the Millennium Physician Group.

“We used to think it was much more of a middle-aged man’s disease. They’re about twice as likely to have sleep apnea as women,” said Abbasi-Feinberg. “However, the risk increases during different stages of a woman’s life.”

Hormonal changes such as those during pregnancy and menopause can increase the risk of sleep apnea in women.

“During pregnancy, it increases, and then during menopause,” said Abbasi-Feinberg.

Women may be underdiagnosed and undertreated for sleep apnea.

“There’s a lot of other causes of fatigue that often are evaluated first,” said Abbasi-Feinberg.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to heart disease, stroke, and dementia, making awareness crucial for women.

Collier now uses a CPAP mask to manage her condition.

“I can’t imagine sleeping without it,” said Collier.

Studies are ongoing to learn more about women and sleep apnea, including whether anatomy might play a role. By menopause, the incidence of apnea in women is nearly equal to that in men.