Understanding the connection between sleep apnea and mental health

Feeling sad or anxious and having trouble sleeping from time to time is a natural part of life’s ups and downs. But for people with sleep apnea, the ongoing sleep deprivation and repeated breathing interruptions can make it more difficult to manage emotions and cope with stress.

Making it even more challenging: Many people who are struggling with these symptoms don’t realize they have sleep apnea – or that if those difficult emotions persist, they may be experiencing a treatable mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.

Both sleep apnea and mental health concerns can affect people of any age or background. Left untreated, their symptoms can become worse. They can also contribute to other serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Understanding the signs and symptoms and getting a proper diagnosis and care plan can make a big difference in your overall health and quality of life.

Let’s take a closer look at what these conditions are, how they may be connected and treatment options that can help manage them.

By the numbers: sleep apnea and mental health

Sleep apnea and mental health conditions are often closely linked. Research shows that:

• Up to 30% of U.S. adults have sleep apnea.¹

• About 23% of U.S. adults live with a mental illness.²

• Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health concerns and often occur together.³

• Depression and anxiety are more common in people with sleep apnea than in the general population.^4,5

• Up to 40% of adults with obstructive sleep apnea – the most common type – experience symptoms of depression or anxiety.^6,7,8

• Having obstructive sleep apnea can triple the risk of developing depression or anxiety.⁹

• Getting an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea can help reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety.¹⁰
  

Researchers are still exploring why sleep apnea and mental health conditions are so closely connected, but disrupted sleep and drops in oxygen during the night appear to play a major role.^11,12

Why sleep matters

While you sleep, your body recharges and repairs vital organs like your brain and heart, and keeps systems that protect your health and regulate hormones and nerves running smoothly.

If you don’t get enough quality sleep – about seven to nine hours per night for adults – your body doesn’t have time to recover. Hormones that control your mood, cravings and energy can get thrown off. Sleep apnea can make this worse by lowering your oxygen levels, which further interferes with your body’s recovery.

In other words, not getting enough quality sleep can make your body’s systems less effective, increase the risk of mental health conditions and worsen sleep apnea.

How do I know if I have sleep apnea, depression and/or anxiety?

Figuring out if you have sleep apnea, depression or anxiety can be tricky, because some of the common symptoms associated with each of them overlap. For example, all three can lead you to:

• Have trouble falling and/or staying asleep

• Feel exhausted during the day

• Feel irritable or quick tempered

• Have difficulties with focus and/or memory

• Have mood swings and other changes in behavior,

• Experience weight changes

• Have a decreased sex drive
  

However, some of the key common differences are:

• People with moderate to severe sleep apnea wake up repeatedly throughout the night, though they may not remember it. They may also snore loudly or wake up with a sore throat or headache.

• People with a mental health condition¹³ tend to stop doing activities they used to enjoy. They also tend to withdraw from family and friends, experience digestive problems or unexplained aches and pains, and have difficulty relating to other people. More specifically, people with depression tend to feel an ongoing sense of hopelessness, and those with anxiety tend to feel ongoing dread, worry and nervousness.
  
  Because symptoms can overlap, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider. They can guide you as to whether a sleep study, mental health screening or both may clarify what’s going on.

Self-care strategies and treatment options

If your symptoms are mild, making lifestyle adjustments may help ease symptoms of all three. This may include practicing self-care – such as eating nutritious foods, staying active, following good sleep hygiene, taking time to relax, reducing stress and spending time with loved ones.

If your symptoms are moderate to severe or long-lasting, additional treatment is often needed to bring them to a safe and manageable level.

For mental health concerns, a mental health professional can provide a diagnosis and tailored treatment plan. The plan may include lifestyle changes like those noted above, talk therapy and/or prescription medications.

For obstructive sleep apnea, treatment depends on the severity of the condition, your symptoms and medical history. Options may include:

• Dental appliances that help position the airway

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to force air into your lungs through a hose and mask during sleep

• Inspire^® therapy – an implantable upper airway nerve stimulation device that helps you breathe regularly

• Surgeries to correct facial structural issues
  

If you have a mental health condition and sleep apnea, your healthcare providers can work together to coordinate an individualized plan.

Consult a doctor

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above or have any concerns about how well you’re sleeping or feeling overall, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider. They can help determine what’s going on and offer recommendations to support your well-being. With proper diagnosis and treatment, many people with sleep apnea and mental health conditions can manage their symptoms and improve their sleep and overall quality of life.

Sources

1 SleepApnea.org, Central Sleep Apnea. November 18, 2022.

2 National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Illness. September 2024.

3 Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), Facts & Statistics. August 21, 2025.

4 PubMed, Association of Anxiety and Depression in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Jan-Feb 2020.

5 PMC, Prevalence of depression and anxiety in obstructive sleep apnea. July 1, 2022.

6 ScienceDirect, Association between sleep apnea severity and symptoms of depression and anxiety among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. October 18, 2022.

7 PubMed, Association of Anxiety and Depression in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Jan-Feb 2020.

8 PMC, Prevalence of depression and anxiety in obstructive sleep apnea. July 1, 2022.

9 Stanford Medicine, How sleep affects mental health (and vice versa): What the science says. August 11, 2025.

10 PubMed, CPAP Therapy on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. October 6, 2022.

11 Frontiers, Prevalence and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea in depression: an observational retrospective study. April 6, 2025.

12 JAMA Network, Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With the Risk of Affective Disorders | Otolaryngology. September 12, 2019.

13 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Warning Signs and Symptoms. Accessed September 30, 2025.