72+ Sleep Apnea Quotes and Sayings for Inspiration (2025)

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, often disrupting sleep and daily life.

Living with sleep apnea can be challenging, but inspiration and encouragement can go a long way in helping individuals navigate this journey.

In this article, we’ve gathered some of the most uplifting and insightful quotes about sleep apnea, offering hope and motivation for those managing the condition, as well as their loved ones.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. These pauses, known as apneas, can last from a few seconds to a minute and may occur multiple times an hour, disrupting the normal sleep cycle.

The most common types are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where the airway becomes blocked, and central sleep apnea (CSA), where the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to fatigue, heart problems, and other health issues.

Quotes About Sleep Apnea

1. Snoring isn’t sexy, but neither is CPAP. – Dr. David Jones

2. Sleep is the best meditation. – Dalai Lama

3. Sleep apnea is known to cause mental illness and chronic fatigue. – Steven Magee

4. The first thing that was suggested when I got diagnosed was CPAP therapy. – Lyn Ashby

5. Try breathing while you sleep. It certainly helps. – Brant Reader

6. Couples who struggle with sleep apnea have a high divorce rate. – Dr. Rosalind Cartwright

7. I discovered my severe sleep apnea by using a recording pulse oximeter. No one in my family has a history of using CPAP or BiPAP machines, even though I had to use them for several years. After many years of having sleep apnea, I successfully cleared it up. – Steven Magee

8. When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. – Irving Berlin

9. The worst sleep disorder is being awake. – Unknown

10. Couldn’t sleep, wouldn’t sleep. Love came and told me, shouldn’t sleep. Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I. – Beegie Adair

11. The easiest thing to do in the world is pull the covers up over your head and go back to sleep. – Dan Gable

12. Sleep helps you win at life. – Amy Poehler

13. Dreams are not seen when you sleep. Dreams are those that don’t let you sleep. – Thexy Odette

14. Sleep apnea can be a serious condition if it’s not treated. – McKenzy Bowers

15. Laugh and the world laughs with you; snore, and you sleep alone! – Anthony Burgess

16. When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap. – Tom Hodgkinson

17. The shorter your sleep, The shorter your life span. – Matthew Walker

18. Sleep apnea may be a thief of breath, but it can be defeated with knowledge, determination and the right equipment. – Dr. Shawn Wheeler

19. Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. – JoJo Jensen

20. Sleep apnea can rob you of the restful sleep you need to function well during the day, but with proper treatment, you can reclaim your good night’s sleep. – Michael J. Brown

21. Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. – Thomas Dekker

22. Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day. – Matthew Walker

23. I don’t want to just survive, I want to live. And with sleep apnea treatment, I am doing just that. – Ottis Gammill

24. I love sleep. My life has a tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know? – Ernest Hemingway

25. A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. – Irish Proverb

26. It’s not just about the quantity of sleep, it’s about the quality. And with sleep apnea, that quality is often severely impacted. – Dr. David Nobles

27. The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. – Charles Caleb Colton

28. View your health as an investment, not an expense. – John Quelch

29. Sleep apnea can make you feel like you’re just going through the motions of life, but with the right treatment, you can start truly living again. – Amanda Nesbit

30. The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. – Charles Caleb Colton

31. Happiness consists of getting enough sleep. Just that, nothing more. – Robert A. Heinlein

32. Sleep apnea may try to steal your nights, but cannot steal your dreams. – Blane Barnett

33. The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more. – Wilson Mizener

34. Everything you do, you’ll do better with a good night’s sleep. – Arianna Huffington

35. Sleep apnea can make you feel helpless and alone, but you are not alone. There are millions of us out there, fighting the same fight and winning. – Diane Koffman

36. There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it. – Mindy Kaling

37. Sleep apnea may take away your breath, but it doesn’t have to take away your life. – Dr. Dick Berry

38. If sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has ever made. – Allan Rechtschaffen

39. Sleep apnea may be a formidable foe, but with the right tools and determination, it can be defeated. Don’t give up, keep fighting, and you’ll get your good nights sleep back. – Sheila M. Robati

40. I want to sleep but my brain won’t stop talking to itself. – Unknown

41. People who snore always fall asleep first. – Unknown

42. As that old saying goes: “What you don’t know can hurt you.” And that’s especially true when it comes to issues pertaining to your health. – McKenzy Bowers

43. I’m so good at sleeping that I can do it with my eyes closed. – Unknown

44. The primary symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, and excessive daytime fatigue.

45. There are three types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), and Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome (CSAS).

46. Risk factors for sleep apnea include being overweight, having a large neck circumference, and having a family history of the condition.

47. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression.

48. Treatment options for sleep apnea include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, and medical treatments, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy.

49. CPAP therapy is the most common treatment for sleep apnea and involves wearing a mask over the nose and/or mouth to deliver a constant stream of air to keep the airway open during sleep.

50. Surgery is another option for treating sleep apnea, although it is typically only recommended for severe cases that do not respond to other treatments.

51. Sleep apnea can also be treated with lifestyle changes, such as sleeping on your side, avoiding alcohol and sleeping aids, and maintaining a healthy weight.

52. Sleep apnea is a real snore-fest.

53. Why did the sleep apnea patient cross the road? To get to the CPAP machine on the other side.

54. Sleep apnea is a real breath-taker.

55. Sleep apnea has got me feeling like I need more than just a good night’s sleep. – Johnny Landers

56. With sleep apnea, it’s always a struggle to get a good night’s sleep. – Unknown

57. It is an insidious condition that affects people in a variety of ways and differing degrees of severity. – Jerry Jacobson

58. A positive mindset can overcome the most dire of situations. – Scott Earle

59. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip Toe if you must, but take a step. – Naeem Callaway

60. Behind every chronic illness is just a person trying to find their way in the world. We want to find love and be loved and be happy just like you. We want to be successful and do something that matters. We’re just dealing with unwanted limitations in our hero’s journey. – Glenn Schweitzer

61. Resting is not laziness, it’s medicine! – Glenn Schweitzer

62. Never let the things you cannot do prevent you from doing the things you can. – John Wooden

63. When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t. – Thomas Edison

64. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. – Charles R. Swindoll

65. The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. – C.C. Scott

66. Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. – Arthur Golden

67. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Nelson Mandela

68. We do not have to be defined by our illness. We are much more than our symptoms. – Dr. Brent Shaefer

69. We are not defined by our condition. We are defined by our strength, our courage, and our determination. – Unknown

70. One day at a time, one step at a time, one breath at a time, one good night’s sleep at a time. – Andrea Cortez

71. Do whatever it takes to manage your sleep apnea. There are options available that can help. – Maria Lopez

72. How to beat sleep apnea: Never stop moving forward. – Brett Harrison

More Quotes on Medical Topics

You may also enjoy our other articles featuring motivational quotes on various medical topics.

These include:

• Quotes About Breathing
• Quotes About Asthma
• Quotes About COPD
• Quotes About Cystic Fibrosis
• Quotes About Pneumonia
• Quotes About Emphysema
• Quotes About Bronchiectasis
• Quotes About Lung Cancer
• Quotes About a Heart Attack
• Quotes About Congestive Heart Failure
• Quotes About Hypertension
• Quotes About Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Quotes About Myasthenia Gravis
• Quotes About Diabetes
• Quotes About Alzheimer’s Disease
• Quotes About Tuberculosis
• Quotes for Respiratory Therapists

Final Thoughts

Though sleep apnea may present obstacles, it’s important to remember that with the right mindset and support, it’s possible to lead a fulfilling life.

These quotes serve as a reminder that resilience, self-care, and perseverance can help overcome the difficulties that come with this condition.

Let these words of inspiration guide you toward better sleep and a healthier tomorrow.