What is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

Did you know OSA can cause EDS?

OSA may change the way your brain sends signals that keep you awake during the day, which may cause EDS. EDS is a medical condition that can leave you feeling tired during the day and give you an irresistible need to sleep during the day. This can lead to problems with work, school, activities, hobbies, and even your relationships.

Feeling tired during the day even after using CPAP may mean you also need a treatment for EDS

OSA affects your airways. It happens when your airway repeatedly gets blocked despite your efforts to breathe. This can cause shallow breathing, or cause your breathing to repeatedly stop while you’re asleep, sometimes many times during the night. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a machine that is commonly used to help people treat their OSA.

EDS affects your brain. When OSA blocks your upper airway, it creates a cycle of abnormal breathing and sleep interruption. This cycle can harm the parts of your brain that control feeling awake or sleepy, which causes EDS.

Common signs and symptoms of EDS due to OSA include:

Difficulty keeping attention and focus during the day

Trouble staying awake and alert during the day

Feeling tired regardless of how long you've slept

It’s common for many people to still feel tired even after using their CPAP. That’s why another treatment can help

5 out of 10 people with OSA reported feeling sleep during the day despite CPAP use. Average CPAP use ranged from less than 2 to 7 hours per night. 5 out of 10 people with OSA reported feeling sleep during the day despite CPAP use. Average CPAP use ranged from less than 2 to 7 hours per night.

Download our quick reference guide to EDS due to OSA.

Here’s how EDS due to OSA is diagnosed

Your doctor may ask you to answer a quiz called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). In this quiz, you’ll answer questions about your likelihood of falling asleep in everyday situations

Download the ESS Download icon Download icon

Your doctor will typically then conduct a sleep study to confirm a diagnosis

Many types of healthcare providers can help diagnose EDS due to OSA, including:

  • primary care doctor
  • sleep specialist
  • pulmonologist
  • neurologist
  • psychiatrist
  • nurse practitioner
  • physician assistant

Many types of healthcare providers can help diagnose EDS due to OSA, including:

  • primary care doctor
  • sleep specialist
  • pulmonologist
  • neurologist
  • psychiatrist
  • nurse practitioner
  • physician assistant

Answer the Wake-Up Call Questionnaire

Five simple questions can help you start a conversation with your doctor.

If EDS is making it hard to get through your day, you’re not alone

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway narrows or is blocked during sleep. This causes a cycle of abnormal breathing and sleep interruption. Research suggests that this cycle may harm the parts of the brain that control feeling awake or sleepy.

It has been estimated that about 30 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea.

Now that you know what causes obstructive sleep apnea, it’s important to understand the effect it can have on someone. Obstructive sleep apnea is not just a nighttime sleep disorder—its impact may be felt during the day. Airway therapy, such as CPAP, is important for treating the airway obstruction, but it may not completely relieve the symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness.

Feeling tired during the day is a major complaint of many people living with obstructive sleep apnea. Other signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

  • Waking suddenly while gasping or choking
  • Getting up with dry mouth
  • Snoring loudly
  • Waking up with a headache

Because of the serious impact obstructive sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness can have on you, it’s important to talk to a doctor to help manage both.

As a reminder, SUNOSI does not treat the cause of obstructive sleep apnea or take the place of your CPAP. Continue to use any treatments or devices as prescribed by your doctor.

INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Expand ISI

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
  • have had a heart attack or a stroke.
  • have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
  • are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is SUNOSI? SUNOSI (solriamfetol) is a prescription medicine used to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  • SUNOSI does not treat the underlying cause of OSA and SUNOSI does not take the place of any device prescribed for OSA, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It is important that you continue to use these treatments as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
  • have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
  • have had a heart attack or a stroke.
  • have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
  • are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.
What are the possible side effects of SUNOSI?
SUNOSI may cause serious side effects, including:
Increased blood pressure and heart rate. SUNOSI can cause blood pressure and heart rate increases that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death. Your doctor should check your blood pressure before, and during, treatment with SUNOSI. Your doctor may decrease your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop high blood pressure that does not go away during treatment with SUNOSI.
Mental (psychiatric) symptoms including anxiety, problems sleeping (insomnia), irritability, and agitation. Tell your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms. Your doctor may change your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop side effects during treatment with SUNOSI.

The most common side effects of SUNOSI include:

  • •headache
  • •nausea
  • •decreased appetite
  • •anxiety
  • •problems sleeping
These are not all the possible side effects of SUNOSI. Call your doctor for advice about side effects.
SUNOSI (solriamfetol) is available in 75 mg and 150 mg tablets and is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it contains solriamfetol that can be a target for people who abuse prescription medicines or street drugs. Keep SUNOSI in a safe place to protect it from theft. Never give or sell your SUNOSI to anyone else because it may cause death or harm them and it is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

SUN CON ISI 06/2023

Please see Medication Guide.