Though it may not seem as serious as severe sleep apnea, untreated moderate sleep apnea can have a lasting impact on your sleep and overall health. Over time, repeated breathing disruptions can contribute to daytime sleepiness and increase the risk of cardiovascular and other health problems.
Below, we’ll explain what sets moderate sleep apnea apart from other cases, and explain what causes the disorder. We’ll also let you know what kind of symptoms to look for, and what treatment options exist.
What Is Moderate Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by shallow breathing (hypopnea) and pauses in breathing (apnea). Sleep apnea severity is measured using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). People with moderate sleep apnea have AHI scores of 15 to 30, meaning they stop or slow down breathing between 15 and 30 times in one hour, on average.
Here’s how physicians categorize sleep apnea severity by AHI:
- Mild sleep apnea: 5 to 14 breathing interruptions per hour
- Moderate sleep apnea: 15 to 29 events per hour
- Severe sleep apnea: 30 or more events per hour
Don’t Just Test Your Sleep. Understand It.
Measure key sleep metrics and review your results with a licensed sleep-care provider. Discuss sleep issues and options to make restless nights a thing of the past.
Moderate Sleep Apnea Symptoms
People with moderate sleep apnea may experience some (or all) of the following symptoms:
- Loud, chronic snoring
- Gasping, choking, or snorting during sleep
- Stops or pauses in breathing while sleeping
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Memory problems
- Insomnia
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth
- Irritability or changes in mood
- Reflux
- Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
Sometimes, the bed partners of people with sleep apnea notice nighttime symptoms like snoring or choking before those with the condition.
Causes of Moderate Sleep Apnea
OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea, and moderate cases generally have the same causes as mild and severe cases. With OSA, breathing passages are restricted or blocked when the upper airway or palate collapses. The following factors increase the risk of developing the condition:
- Large neck circumference
- Obesity
- Jaw, neck, or mouth anatomy that limits room within breathing passages
- Oversized or swollen tonsils
- Age (over age 50)
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Alcohol consumption
- Sedating medications
- Smoking
Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a less common type of sleep apnea. People with CSA also have disordered breathing, but instead of a physical blockage, breathing pauses happen as a result of lack of communication between the brain and the muscles that control breathing.
The following medical conditions and risk factors are associated with developing CSA:
- Stroke
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- Heart failure
- Opiate use
- Breathing at high altitudes
Diagnosing Moderate Sleep Apnea
The first step to getting a sleep apnea diagnosis is taking a sleep test. There are two main types of tests, at-home sleep tests and polysomnography.
- At-home sleep test:Home sleep tests are wearable devices that measure a handful of metrics useful for diagnosing sleep apnea. Most calculate your blood oxygen level, heart rate, blood flow, breathing patterns, and breathing effort.
- Polysomnography: This is an in-person sleep test that takes place in a lab or hospital setting. During a polysomnography, you’re connected to diagnostic tools that collect the same measurements as an at-home sleep test, but they also monitor brain waves, eye movement, body movement, and muscle contractions.
Both in-person and at-home tests typically capture enough measurements for physicians to detect and diagnose moderate sleep apnea. Polysomnography can be more accurate, which may be helpful for mild sleep apnea cases. In-person sleep tests are also necessary to diagnose sleep disorders other than OSA.
Moderate Sleep Apnea Treatment
It’s important to treat moderate sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea, even mild and moderate cases, can be detrimental to your health. Luckily, there are several effective treatment options available.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the first-line treatment for sleep apnea. Pressurized air helps prevent the upper airway from collapsing. CPAP is an effective treatment choice for moderate sleep apnea, but consistent use is critical.
- Oral devices: Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) and tongue-retaining devices (TRDs) are oral appliances that some people with more mild cases of OSA may find more comfortable than CPAP. MADs move your jaw forward, while TRDs keep your tongue away from your airway.
- Sleep apnea surgery: Sleep apnea surgery is usually only done when other treatment options have failed. Types of surgeries differ depending on exactly what’s obstructing your airway and how.
- GLP-1s: Currently, the glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) medication Zepbound, and its active ingredient tirzepatide, is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved to treat moderate sleep apnea. It works by treating obesity as an underlying factor of sleep apnea. There are specific requirements that people with sleep apnea must meet to qualify.
- Hypoglossal nerve stimulation: Inspire sleep apnea treatment is a procedure that uses a combination of nerve stimulation and monitoring to keep your airway open and free from obstructions. It’s only an option for those who’ve already tried and failed with CPAP therapy.
- Lifestyle changes: Losing weight, exercising regularly, stopping alcohol, and quitting smoking can all help decrease OSA severity, but they’re not considered standalone treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is moderate sleep apnea dangerous?
Moderate sleep apnea, especially untreated moderate sleep apnea, can be dangerous to your health. People with moderate OSA stop or pause breathing between 15 and 30 times in an hour of sleep. These breathing pauses can lead to long-term health problems like heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and higher risks of motor vehicle accidents. Fortunately, treating moderate sleep apnea mitigates these risks and can help improve your overall health.
Does moderate sleep apnea require CPAP?
It’s not required to treat moderate sleep apnea with CPAP, but you should still treat it somehow, whether that’s with an oral appliance, surgery, or medication. Untreated sleep apnea, even if it’s not severe, can have lasting impacts on your health. CPAP machines are the gold standard OSA treatment, and they’re quieter and more comfortable than CPAP machines of the past.
Is moderate sleep apnea a disability?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t broadly recognize sleep apnea as a disability. However, the SSA reviews medical documentation of people with sleep-related breathing disorders on a case-by-case basis.
To determine whether an individual’s OSA is a disability, the SSA considers whether sleep apnea has negatively impacted one's health, including whether it has led to the development of conditions like hypertension, stroke, heart failure, and certain mental health disorders.
Can moderate sleep apnea be cured?
There isn’t an all-out cure for moderate sleep apnea, but there are numerous effective treatments that can reverse or improve symptoms. CPAP therapy, weight loss, oral appliances, prescription medication, and surgery have all been shown to decrease OSA severity and better health outcomes.
