People often wonder if it’s possible to have sleep apnea without snoring, and the answer is unfortunately, YES. There is such a condition as silent sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is about the collapsibility of the upper airway. Not always is there a “red flag” warning with noise and snore sound. The airway can collapse in a way that it doesn’t produce loud noises; however, the oxygen levels still desaturate and the apnea patient still suffers night after night. A good analogy would be like taking the battery out of a smoke alarm. You won’t ever hear the loud noise from the smoke alarm, but your home can be burning down and you wouldn’t even know it.
