Can Sleep Apnea Cause Weight Gain?

Posted on Sun, 5 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 5 Jan 2014 Answered on

Sat, 25 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I have sleep apnea and I having a terrible time losing weight. Can sleep apena cause u to gain weight

Answered by Dr. Kerry Pottinger (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Not directly. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for using Healthcare Magic. Sleep apnea is not a common cause of obesity. However, if left untreated, sleep apnea can cause daytime lethargy and sleepiness which may prevent your normal daily activities and lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. Hence an increase risk of gaining weight. The more common relationship is that obesity is a cause of sleep apnea and losing weight can often reduce the degree of symptoms. I suggest you ensure you have been thoroughly investigated and appropriate treatment started. This would be a CPAP machine for use at night to reduce the obstruction in your upper airway causing your snoring. You will then get adequate sleep and generally feel much better when you wake up and throughout the day. I hope this is of help to you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Dr K A Pottinger, MBChB FRCA

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar