This guide will help you to know what to expect as you work with your healthcare team to manage and treat obstructive sleep apnea.

You will have your own unique journey with OSA. How you move through your journey, the number of visits with your healthcare team, the steps you will take, and the order you take them in will depend on your needs. You will make decisions in partnership with your healthcare team. Always follow your healthcare team’s advice.

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing stops or becomes very shallow while you sleep. This can make it hard for you to get a good night's rest, leaving you feeling very tired during the day. It can also affect your oxygen levels and may cause carbon dioxide levels in your body to rise.

OSA is the most common form of sleep apnea. It occurs when the airways in your nose, mouth, or throat become narrowed, making it hard for air to flow through your windpipe while you sleep. This disruption makes your brain wake you up just enough to start breathing again. These pauses in breathing can also cause your blood oxygen levels to drop, which also results in awakenings. While this reflex helps you breathe, it interrupts your sleep.

If you snore, wake up choking or gasping, are very restless in bed, or are very sleepy during the day even if you went to bed at a good time, talk with your healthcare provider as soon as possible. They can help assess your risks and help you find out if you do have OSA.

OSA may cause you to have problems at work or in social settings. Over time, OSA may lead to serious health problems, especially if you have severe OSA. If you have OSA you may have a higher risk for:

• high blood pressure and heart problems
• pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels of your lungs)
• stroke
• depression
• harder to control blood sugar if you have diabetes

Be safe – it’s important to treat and manage your OSA if your job needs you to be alert during working hours, like professional driving or operating heavy machinery.

Whole-person health

The whole-person health approach will help you and your healthcare team better manage your health condition.

Whole-person health draws from the teachings of the medicine wheel. It means thinking about all parts of your health and wellness:

• physical
• financial and social
• spiritual
• emotional

These parts are all connected and impact each other. It’s important to be aware of your personal needs in each part and to share that information with your healthcare team. Your healthcare team needs to understand who you are and what matters to you. Here are some examples of what you may want to talk to your healthcare provider about:

• “Even if I go to bed early, I always feel so tired and struggle to get through the day.” (physical)
• “I am not sure if I will have enough money to pay for a CPAP machine or if my health benefits will cover it.” (financial and social)
• “My family tells me I am always grumpy and on edge.” (emotional)
• “I do not feel like myself anymore because I have lost interest in the things that are important to me.” (spiritual)

Support and resources

• If you need a family doctor, visit Alberta Health Services: Find a doctor.
• If you need a translator, let your healthcare provider know.
• If you need health advice any time, day or night, call Health Link at 811.
• If you need to find programs and services in your community, call or text 211 or visit 211 Alberta.

For more information about obstructive sleep apnea, see:

• Sleep Apnea: what is it? (video)
• Sleep Apnea: Time to get checked (video)
• Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Sleep Apnea