This is the second post in a two-part series about women and sleep apnea.

Our first post, Why Women with Sleep Apnea are Overlooked, investigates the differences in how women experience and report sleep issues and directly addresses the stereotype that sleep apnea is a man's disease.

In this post, we look at the causes and effects of sleep apnea in women.

As it does in men, sleep apnea in women can cause serious health problems. The sleep disorder increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and early death. Also, the disorder may increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems. Untreated sleep apnea can also lead to cognitive impairments, mood imbalances and metabolic problems.

This is the first post in a two-part series about women and sleep apnea.

The second post, The Health Hazards of Sleep Apnea in Women, looks at the causes and effects of sleep apnea in women.

In this post, we investigate the differences in how women experience and report sleep issues and directly addresses the stereotype that sleep apnea is a man's disease.

Ask the average physician to describe someone with sleep apnea and they will likely tell you that sufferers of this serious disorder tend to be middle-aged men who are also obese.

However, a large number of patients simply don't fit that profile. Thanks in part to this stereotype, women with sleep apnea are underdiagnosed and under-treated.

“There is the mistaken notion — not among sleep specialists, but among general practitioners who are the first line of defense — that sleep apnea is a disease of men,” says Said Mostafavi, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer for Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. and a sleep specialist. “When they see a patient who is a women, they don’t consider it. That is where the diagnosis gets missed.”

Ladies, have you ever laid awake, tossing and turning while your partner was snoring soundly next to you?

This is a fairly common experience among women, and there may be an explanation for it. In fact, there are several significant sleep differences between men and women. In this post, we'll go over the most important points about female sleep patterns, sleep disorder risk, and changes across your lifetime, and give you some tips and information about getting the best sleep possible. 

Amanda Peterson, star of the 80s classic Can't Buy Me Love, passed away earlier this month.

The actress began her career in 1982 with her role as an orphan in "Annie" and a few other jobs before finding her break-out role opposite Patrick Dempsey. Though she had cut back on acting by 1994, Amanda did not step out of the Hollywood lifestyle.  Over the course of 12 years, she was arrested five times for various alcohol and narcotic related charges.  But no: the 43-year-old's unfortunate death does not appear to be the result of a drug overdose.

Instead, the actress's family attributes her death, at least partially, to her sleep apnea.

Decreasing libido, or decreasing sex drive, is a common problem in women. In fact, one estimate is that almost 1/3 of women between ages 18 and 59 suffer from a low sex drive. It's normal for women to experience fluctuations in libido, and such dips can be caused by anything from stress to changing hormones. But according to a new study, there is a simple way for women to increase their sexual interest: getting more sleep. 

If you’ve been trying to conceive a child without success, no doubt you’ve heard much advice regarding how to increase your chances: weight control, cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, or using an ovulation calendar, to name a few. But there’s another, frequently overlooked barrier to conception: sleep deprivation or a sleep disorder in either the male or the female. And such disorders are common. Consider the following statistics:

For one of the world’s most powerful women, president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post, “sleeping your way to the top” has taken on a whole new meaning. Arianna Huffington's crusade to improve your sleep is part of what she terms the “third revolution” brought about by women in society.

"I slept wherever I could. Twenty minutes at lunch. During production meetings. In my car. I remember being filled with rage when childless people would talk about brunch.” Sound like you after a horrible night’s sleep? That’s the sardonic account of Amy Poehler, actress, comedian, writer, producer, and renaissance-woman-with-kids-and-sleep-apnea.

Medical science and medical professionals used to think that sleep apnea was a disorder that only affected older, obese men, but recent studies have proven that to be a misconception. Sleep apnea can affect anyone from age 2 to 102 and beyond, regardless of one’s sex or weight.

Picture the typical person with sleep apnea.

Odds are, you just thought of a man. But studies show that almost one in two sleep apnea patients is a woman. How likely are women to have this disorder…and how often are they treated?