Sleep Apnea Is Common, Often Missed, and Treatable (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Oh God, I can't believe that I actually stopped breathing. You were stopping breathing about ten times an hour. It's definitely thrown me a little bit.

[00:00:09] Speaker 2: For me, sleep apnea wasn't even in the realm of possibility because I was under the impression, you know, it was something that obese old men get.

[00:00:17] Speaker 3: Sleep apnea. It's a hidden condition that stops us breathing while we sleep. It's believed that eight million of us have it, but only a million have a diagnosis.

[00:00:27] Speaker 1: It's so common and has such an impact on people's quality of life. It's associated with increased risks of long-term health conditions like strokes, heart disease, high blood pressure.

[00:00:38] Speaker 3: Zoe had severe sleep apnea. She stopped breathing every two minutes and had no idea. It was scary. After her diagnosis, she had to wait a year for this CPAP machine, which helps keep her airway open overnight. This treatment, coupled with her weight loss, means she no longer has the condition.

[00:00:56] Speaker 2: It's changed my life. My mental health is better, my physical health is better, my sleep and my energy levels are better. Yeah, I think my life is just so much better and so much happier than it was two years ago. Yeah.