Feeling stressed? Struggling to sleep? Learn how these symptoms can fuel each other

When you feel stressed out, your body naturally kicks in to help you get through the challenge. In the moment, you might notice heightened senses, sharper focus, a faster heartbeat and a burst of energy. All of this is part of our hardwiring to either face or escape danger, called the “fight or flight” response. When the threat has passed, your mind and body usually relax and reset – and during sleep, your body goes through its natural restoration and maintenance.

But if you’re coping with ongoing stress or managing a sleep disorder like sleep apnea that makes it difficult to get quality rest, it’s often not so simple. In these situations, your body and mind can stay under chronic strain, putting added pressure on your heart, blood vessels and brain. Over time, this increases your risk for health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression.

If this sounds familiar, understanding the connection between chronic stress and sleep apnea – and taking steps to manage both – is key to protecting your overall health and quality of life.

Chronic stress and sleep apnea

More than half of U.S. adults report experiencing ongoing stress.¹ Over time, chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart-related problems. It’s also linked to obesity and depression, among other conditions.

At the same time, an estimated 54 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including 24 million people with moderate to severe OSA.²

With OSA, your airway gets partially or completely blocked during sleep, disrupting your breathing and causing you to wake up to take a breath. Depending on the severity, this can happen a handful of times per hour or hundreds of times every night. The more frequently you experience this, the greater the risk for developing or worsening another condition, including chronic stress, heart problems, obesity, type 2 diabetes and depression. Many people with sleep apnea wake up tired, nod off during the day and feel stressed or irritable without a clear reason.

Importance of treating sleep apnea and stress

Although one doesn’t directly cause the other, untreated sleep apnea and chronic stress can interact and intensify each other, creating a challenging cycle that drains your energy and affects your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Treating one condition can often help ease the symptoms of the other.³

Unfortunately, many people who have chronic stress, sleep apnea or related conditions remain untreated:

• Up to 90% of people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it.⁴ Often a bed partner or housemate notices their loud snoring or pauses in breathing first and encourages them to consult a doctor.

• About half of the U.S. adult population has high blood pressure, but only about 1 in 4 have it under control.⁵

• About half of people with obstructive sleep apnea also have high blood pressure.⁶

• About 1 in 5 adults experience symptoms of depression yet only about 1 in 3 get treatment.⁷

All these conditions are treatable, and with the right care plan, many people can manage their conditions and improve their quality of life.

Because they are common and often undiagnosed, it’s important to be proactive in taking care of yourself – pay attention to your body, follow preventive care guidelines, keep up with regular checkups and stay on track with any treatment plans you’re on.

Even if you feel healthy, it’s a good idea to have regular checkups – especially if you have a family history of sleep apnea, high blood pressure or other conditions.

Lifestyle habits for self-care

Following healthy lifestyle habits can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve mental health and lessen the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. These self-care strategies also benefit your overall health and wellness. This includes:

• Eating a balanced nutritious diet and staying hydrated

• Moving your body regularly

• Getting enough quality sleep

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Staying socially connected

• Taking time to relax

• Spending time in or around nature

• Practicing gratitude

• Nurturing optimism and hope
  

Medical treatments for specific conditions

While healthy habits are essential, many people need additional medical treatment to manage stress, sleep apnea and related conditions effectively.

• Chronic stress: Working with a behavioral health coach or mental health professional to identify and address the causes of stress in your life.

• Obstructive sleep apnea: Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and individual needs, including dental appliances, CPAP therapy, Inspire^® therapy nerve stimulation or surgery.

• Depression: Meeting with a mental health professional for a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan, which may include talk therapy and/or prescription medications.

• High blood pressure: Limiting sodium, saturated fat and added sugars, alcohol and taking prescription medication.

If you have co-occurring conditions, your healthcare providers can coordinate and tailor a plan to fit your unique needs.

Sources

1 The American Institute of Stress, What the Latest Reports Say About Stress in America. August 29, 2025.

2 Benjafield, A. V., Ayas, N.T,, Eastwood, P.R., Heinzer, R., Ip, M.S.M., Morrell, M.J., et al. (2019) Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of obstructive sleep apnoea: a literature-based analysis, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 7(8): 687-698

3 Sleep Foundation, How Sleep Apnea Affects Blood Pressure. July 11, 2025.

4 Johns Hopkins Medicine, Obstructive Sleep Apnea. April 10, 2025.

5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, High Blood Pressure Facts | High Blood Pressure. January 28, 2025.

6 Sleep Foundation, How Sleep Apnea Affects Blood Pressure. July 11, 2025.

7 World Health Organization, Depressive disorder (depression). August 29, 2025.

American Physiological Society, Exploring the causal relationship between chronic stress and sleep apnea in human populations using Mendelian randomisation. May 12, 2025.

Cleveland Clinic, How Stress Is Linked to High Blood Pressure. July 22, 2025.

Mayo Clinic, Sleep apnea - Symptoms and causes. April 6, 2023.

Mayo Clinic, Stress and high blood pressure: What's the connection? November 23, 2024.

Nature, Stress in obstructive sleep apnea. June 16, 2021.

Nature, Obstructive sleep apnea-related hypertension: a review of the literature and clinical management strategy | Hypertension Research. August 29, 2024.

SleepApnea.org, How Sleep Apnea Affects Blood Pressure. February 9, 2023.