Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a breathing-related sleep disorder. There are several types of sleep apnea, but OSA is the most common. What causes obstructive sleep apnea? OSA occurs when your throat muscles relax and block your upper airway while you sleep, causing you to wake dozens — sometimes hundreds — of times a night. Sleeping with obstructive sleep apnea There are several signs and symptoms that may indicate that you have OSA. These symptoms include: Unrefreshing and fragmented sleep Loud snoring Long pauses in breathing while asleep Severe daytime sleepiness Morning headaches Frequent waking at night Chronic elevation in daytime blood pressure Difficulty concentrating during the day Mood changes and irritability Know your risk for obstructive sleep apnea Knowing your risk for sleep apnea is essential to your health. Take our free health risk quiz now and get started on your path to better sleep. Start now How is obstructive sleep apnea treated? To diagnose OSA, doctors will schedule you for a diagnostic sleep study. During the study, our sleep technologists will monitor and record your sleep behaviors in our fully-equipped sleep labs or through specialty equipment you take with you to the comfort of your own home. The studies available at the Tanner Center for Sleep Disorders include: Full-night diagnostic studies (nocturnal polysomnogram, or NPSG) Split-night diagnostic and therapeutic studies (NPSG with continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP) Daytime multiple sleep latency tests Home sleep studies Scheduling a sleep study If you think you may have OSA, speak with your doctor about receiving a referral for a sleep study at the Tanner Center for Sleep Disorders. To schedule your session, your physician will need to complete a standard Tanner order form. For more information, call 770-812-9146. Download an Adult Order Form Download a Pediatric Order Form Call 770-812-9146