Woman Diagnosed With Dangerous Sleep Disorder Takes Matters Into Own Hands

Weight gain can bring unexpected health challenges, and for one woman, it led to the diagnosis of a serious sleep disorder.

After giving birth last February, Reddit user Erica, who goes by u/DifferenceNo2093 on the platform, became aware of her snoring thanks to her husband, who refused to sleep in the same bed. She was soon diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition involving repeated breathing interruptions during sleep due to a blocked airway.

The cause was a 70-pound weight gain during pregnancy. Erica, from Tacoma, Washington, was advised to lose weight to relieve the symptoms. She followed that advice, and her transformation quickly gained attention online, racking up 9,600 upvotes.

Newsweek discussed the post, captioned “Just wanted to celebrate that I don’t snore anymore!” with the 29-year-old, who weighed 230 pounds at her heaviest.

According to the American Medical Association, about 30 million people in the United States have sleep apnea, but only 6 million have been diagnosed. Excess weight can contribute to or exacerbate the condition, and patients are encouraged to lose weight to alleviate symptoms.

“Sleep apnea often gets worse with extra weight, especially around the neck and upper airway. That extra tissue can make the airway narrower, which increases the chances of it collapsing during sleep,” Dr. Hussain Ahmad, a hospital doctor with 10 years of experience, told Newsweek.

“When someone loses a lot of weight, it reduces that pressure and can improve or even reverse sleep apnea. It doesn’t happen for everyone, but in many cases—especially if the apnea was mild to moderate—weight loss can make a big difference.”

Erica shared her experience with Newsweek: “When I gained weight during pregnancy, my husband didn’t sleep next to me, and would sleep on the couch. He took a video of me snoring, and it sounded like I was dying. I was absolutely horrified.

“I made an appointment and showed the video to my doctor. He said I probably had sleep apnea due to my weight, and I should book a sleep study. I feared living the rest of my life worried about if I’d stop breathing in my sleep,” she said.

“Now that I weigh 150 pounds, my husband said he doesn’t hear me snore ever, and my breathing is calm, quiet, and gentle.

“My dry mouth, nightmares, depression, fatigue, and memory problems disappeared,”…