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Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter · July 6 · 37 min

#211 - Insomnia and Sleep Apnea: Just Don’t Know

We tend to think of insomnia and sleep apnea as two completely different sleep disorders. One means you can't sleep. The other means you stop breathing. Simple, right? Not so fast. In reality, many people with sleep apnea don't complain about snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, they complain that they wake up repeatedly throughout the night and can't stay asleep. In this episode we will: Explain why sleep apnea often causes insomnia-like symptoms rather than daytime sleepiness Explore the growing recognition of COMISA (comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea) Discuss why women and non-traditional sleep apnea patients are especially likely to be misdiagnosed Review the latest research on treating insomnia and sleep apnea together To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Sleep Reset, please use the following link: https://www.thesleepreset.com/podcast Original intro music Vigilanteology by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Original outro music Vigilanteology (reprise) by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Produced by: Maeve Winter Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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We tend to think of insomnia and sleep apnea as two completely different sleep disorders. One means you can't sleep. The other means you stop breathing. Simple, right? Not so fast. In reality, many people with sleep apnea don't complain about snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, they complain that they wake up repeatedly throughout the night and can't stay asleep. In this episode we will:

  • Explain why sleep apnea often causes insomnia-like symptoms rather than daytime sleepiness 
  •  Explore the growing recognition of COMISA (comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea) 
  •  Discuss why women and non-traditional sleep apnea patients are especially likely to be misdiagnosed 
  •  Review the latest research on treating insomnia and sleep apnea together

To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Sleep Reset, please use the following link: https://www.thesleepreset.com/podcast

Original intro music Vigilanteology by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026)

Original outro music Vigilanteology (reprise) by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026)

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved


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Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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