The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

If undiagnosed and untreated, OSA can interfere with your quality of life. If you have OSA, you may be at risk for excessive daytime sleepiness and complications such as high blood pressure, high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), depression, irregular heart rhythms, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and stroke.

Consider the following when making your decision whether to have a sleep study or not:

• A sleep study performed in a qualified sleep lab is the best method for diagnosing and determining the type and severity of your sleep apnea.
• If you snore but do not have other symptoms of OSA, you may not need a sleep study. Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss (if needed), sleeping on your side, and a regular sleep schedule may reduce your snoring.
• If you have symptoms of OSA (particularly excessive snoring or daytime sleepiness), a sleep study generally is recommended.
• If you have mild OSA, or more severe OSA without daytime sleepiness, treatment may or may not reduce your symptoms and complications.
• If you have moderate to severe OSA, treatment generally reduces symptoms of sleep apnea and may reduce your risk of complications.