Loud snoring can become a running joke at home until nobody is sleeping properly. You may wake exhausted, your partner may move to another room, and patience can wear thin by morning.
Sleep apnoea is more than noisy breathing. Repeated pauses in breathing can affect oxygen levels and place extra strain on the body, including the heart. If your GP suspects sleep apnoea, they may refer you for a home sleep study to see what is happening during the night.
SmartCare Diagnostics provides sleep investigations, including home sleep studies, for the communities in and around our clinics at Springfield, Mt Gravatt, North Lakes, Capalaba and Ipswich. All referrals accepted and bulk billing is available for eligible Medicare card holders.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea occurs when breathing repeatedly pauses or becomes shallow during sleep. In obstructive sleep apnoea, the airway becomes partly or fully blocked.
A person may snore loudly, gasp, choke or briefly wake before falling back asleep without remembering it. This pattern can happen many times across the night.
Common signs include:
- Loud snoring
- Waking gasping or choking
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth on waking
- Daytime tiredness
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Waking up tired even after a full night in bed
A partner is usually the first to notice pauses in breathing, or for many, one of the main warnings is fatigue that’s beginning to affect driving, work or family life.
How does sleep apnoea affect the heart?
When breathing pauses during sleep, oxygen levels can drop and the body responds by briefly waking and increasing stress signals, making the heart work harder.
Ongoing, untreated sleep apnoea can be linked with high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and other cardiovascular concerns. Consistent fatigue can also make exercise and healthy routines harder to maintain.
Snoring alone does not mean someone has heart disease. But snoring combined with choking, gasping, pauses in breathing or daytime exhaustion definitely means it is worth having a discussion about with your GP.
If you already have high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, heart failure or you’re constantly tired, your doctor may include a sleep study as part of your medical work-up to figure out if sleep apnoea is making things worse or contributing to your symptoms.
Why a home sleep study can be a useful first step
A home sleep study records breathing, oxygen levels and sleep-related patterns in your own bed. For people already exhausted by poor sleep, staying at home can make the test easier to fit into normal life.
You will be shown how to use the equipment, which usually involves small sensors worn during sleep. The information recorded helps your referring doctor assess if sleep apnoea is present and how severe it may be.
Home testing can also be practical if you work shifts, care for children or find an overnight stay away from home difficult.
What happens if sleep apnoea is found?
Your GP will review the results and discuss what happens next. Treatment will be based on the findings and your health history.
A CPAP trial may be recommended. CPAP uses gentle air pressure to help keep the airway open during sleep, and SmartCare Diagnostics provides CPAP trials as part of its sleep investigation services.
The overarching goal is to address any repeated breathing interruptions and the symptoms or health concerns linked with them. So this will include professional health advice that may cover sleep position, weight management, alcohol reduction, nasal symptoms, medication review or specialist referral.
Why people delay sleep testing
Snoring can feel embarrassing, and poor sleep is easy to put down to age, stress or a busy household. Cost concerns or worries about sleeping with testing equipment might also put people off.
But the effects can build up quickly: arguments at home, reduced concentration at work, unsafe driving or simply feeling flat most days.
A sleep study gives your GP overnight information to work with instead of relying on symptoms alone, and at SmartCare Diagnostics, eligible Medicare card holders can be bulk billed for approved sleep investigations. All referrals are accepted.
When sleep and heart symptoms overlap
Sleep apnoea and heart symptoms can overlap. Tiredness and snoring can lead to a sleep study, whereas palpitations, high blood pressure or breathlessness will prompt cardiac testing.
Your GP could decide both areas are worth investigating, based on your symptoms. This can include a home sleep study to assess breathing and oxygen levels overnight, with cardiac testing like an ECG, Holter monitor, echocardiogram or ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
Looking at both sleep and cardiac function together can help identify if symptoms are driven by sleep-disordered breathing, an underlying heart condition or both. This combined view can support more accurate diagnosis and more targeted treatment planning.
SmartCare Diagnostics provides both sleep and cardiac investigations, so referring doctors can review results across both areas, if suitable, helping build a clearer picture of your symptoms where an individual test does not. Routine reports are also returned within 24-48 hours and any urgent findings are communicated promptly to the referring doctor.
FAQs about sleep apnoea and heart health
Snoring, gasping or waking exhausted?
If poor sleep, morning headaches, loud snoring or gasping during the night are affecting everyday life, speak with your GP about referral for a home sleep study.
SmartCare Diagnostics accepts all referrals and provides sleep investigations, with bulk billing available for eligible Medicare card holders.
*This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always follow the guidance of your GP, specialist or other qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health. Please call triple zero (000) immediately if you believe your symptoms are life-threatening.
Accessible diagnostic testing. Bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders.