What Happens During Sleep Apnea — and Why It Affects Your Heart
Sleep apnea causes your breathing to repeatedly stop during sleep. Every pause lowers oxygen levels, and your body reacts with a burst of stress hormones and sudden spikes in blood pressure.
Over time, this pattern creates strain on the heart’s electrical system, increasing the risk of arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation (AFib). Afib is a common heart rhythm disorder in which the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly and often too fast.
How nighttime breathing disruptions trigger AFib
- Drops in oxygen force the heart to work harder
- Pressure in the chest rises with each gasp
- Inflammation around the heart increases
- The heart’s electrical pathways become more vulnerable
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common driver, but central sleep apnea (CSA) can also disrupt heart rhythm, especially in people with heart failure.
This sleep–heart connection is strong — but often overlooked.
Symptoms That Suggest Sleep Apnea or AFib Could Be Affecting Your Health
You may notice symptoms during sleep, during the day, or both. Because these conditions overlap, it helps to recognize the full picture.
Sleep apnea symptoms
- Loud snoring
- Pauses in breathing noticed by a partner
- Waking up gasping or choking
- Morning headaches
- Daytime fatigue or trouble concentrating
- Dry mouth upon waking
AFib and heart rhythm symptoms
- Fluttering or racing heartbeat
- Feeling like your heart “skips beats”
- Shortness of breath, especially at night
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Trouble exercising or climbing stairs
- Fatigue that feels out of proportion to your activity
Shared risk factors
- High blood pressure
- Heart failure
- Obesity or metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes
- Prior stroke or clot
- Age over 65
If these symptoms sound familiar, a coordinated evaluation can help uncover the cause.
Why Treating Sleep Apnea Can Improve AFib Outcomes
When sleep apnea is untreated, AFib becomes harder to control. Episodes may happen more often, treatments may be less effective, and the risk of recurrence stays higher.
But when sleep apnea is treated — especially with CPAP — the heart benefits.
How CPAP and sleep apnea treatment help protect your heart:
- More stable oxygen levels
- Lower nighttime blood pressure spikes
- Less inflammation affecting heart tissue
- Better response to AFib medications
- Better outcomes after ablation
- Reduced AFib recurrence rate
Treating sleep apnea is one of the strongest “outside-the-heart” strategies for supporting heart rhythm — and many patients feel better within weeks.
When You Should See a Heart Rhythm Specialist
You don’t need to wait for severe symptoms. The sleep–heart connection is strong enough that early evaluation is often the safest path.
What an electrophysiologist does
An electrophysiologist (EP) is a cardiologist with advanced training in the heart’s electrical system. They diagnose and treat arrhythmias — including AFib — using tools like heart monitors, medications, ablation procedures, and whole-patient risk-factor management.
At UC Health, EP specialists, work closely with sleep medicine physicians to evaluate how breathing at night may be influencing heart rhythm.
You should consider an electrophysiology consult if you
- Have sleep apnea and notice palpitations, fluttering, or a racing heart
- Wake up breathless or with a pounding heartbeat
- Have AFib that keeps returning despite treatment
- Have been told your oxygen drops significantly during sleep
- Feel extremely tired even after using CPAP
- Have AFib plus conditions like hypertension, heart failure, or obesity
Treatment for Sleep Apnea and AFib
Treating AFib successfully often means treating what’s happening outside the heart — especially during sleep. We coordinate care across electrophysiologists, cardiologists, sleep medicine physicians, and advanced practice providers, with each patient’s plan personalized to their needs. Coordinated care often includes:
Sleep apnea evaluation and treatment
- Sleep study (home or in-lab)
- CPAP therapy
- Oral appliance therapy
- Weight management support
- ENT evaluation for airway structure
- Surgical options, when appropriate
AFib evaluation and treatment
- ECG or long-term heart rhythm monitoring
- Rate- and rhythm-control medications
- Stroke prevention treatments, including anticoagulation and device-based options such as WATCHMAN
- Catheter ablation
- Risk-factor modification (weight, blood pressure, sleep apnea, physical activity)
Treating both conditions together leads to the strongest, most durable results.
Choose UC Health for Coordinated AFib and Sleep Apnea Care
When AFib and sleep apnea are treated separately, patients often end up repeating tests, receiving mixed recommendations, or feeling unsure about what to do next. At UC Health, your care team works together from the start — so every specialist has the full picture.
Your care team may include specialists from
- Electrophysiology (AFib & Heart Rhythm Care): Diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias, including AFib, ablation, and WATCHMAN.
- General Cardiology: Evaluation of heart function, blood pressure, stroke risk, heart failure, and overall cardiovascular health.
- Sleep Medicine: Sleep studies, CPAP therapy, and management of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
- Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Specialists: Airway evaluation and surgical solutions for structural issues contributing to snoring or sleep apnea.
- Primary Care: Early screening, symptom evaluation, and long-term support to keep your heart and sleep health on track.
What this means for you
- Shared test results so you don’t repeat appointments or wait for answers
- One coordinated treatment plan that supports both your sleep and your heart
- Faster, more accurate diagnosis because all specialists communicate
- Better long-term rhythm stability, especially after AFib treatments like ablation
- Support at every step, from first symptoms to ongoing management
This connected, team-based approach helps you breathe easier at night, feel more energized during the day, and keep your heart rhythm steady for the long run.
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, don’t ignore heart symptoms—get your rhythm checked. For an appointment with an electrophysiology specialist, schedule online or call 513-475-8521.
