Excessive Daytime Sleepiness due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Even if you’re using your CPAP at night, there may be more
you can do if you’re still feeling tired during the day

Millions of people are impacted by excessive daytime sleepiness due
to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—a real medical condition that may be treated. Common signs and symptoms include:

Brain Fog

Difficulty keeping attention and focus during the day

Frequent Tiredness

Trouble staying awake and alert during the day

Unrefreshing Sleep

Feeling tired regardless of how long you've slept

How is excessive daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea assessed?

A common tool used by doctors to help assess a person’s level of tiredness and symptoms is called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. This quiz measures a person’s likelihood of dozing or falling asleep in everyday situations, like reading, watching TV, talking with a friend, or driving. Although the Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used for screening, a sleep study is typically conducted to confirm a diagnosis.

Many types of healthcare professionals (HCPs) can help diagnose excessive daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea. If you think you may be experiencing any signs or symptoms, talk to your primary care physician or another HCP, like a sleep specialist, pulmonologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.

Don't settle for feeling tired during the day. Take the Daytime Sleepiness Quiz.

In a study, more than 50% of people with obstructive sleep apnea reported feeling sleepy during the day despite CPAP use*.

^*Average CPAP use ranged from less than 2 to 7 or more hours per night.

Causes of obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway narrows or is blocked during sleep. This causes a cycle of abnormal breathing and sleep interruption. Research suggests that this cycle may harm the parts of the brain that control feeling awake or sleepy.

It has been estimated that 25 million Americans have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Impact of obstructive sleep apnea

Now that you know what causes obstructive sleep apnea, it's important to understand the effect it can have on someone. Obstructive sleep apnea is not just a nighttime sleep disorder—its impact may be felt during the day. Airway therapy, such as a CPAP, is important for treating the airway obstruction, but it may not completely relieve the symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness.

Common signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea

Feeling tired during the day is a major complaint of many people living with obstructive sleep apnea. Other signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

Waking suddenly while gasping or choking
Getting up with a sore throat or dry mouth
Snoring loudly
Waking up with a headache

Because of the serious impact obstructive sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness can have on you, it's important to talk to a doctor to help manage both.

As a reminder, SUNOSI does not treat the cause of obstructive sleep apnea or take the place of any device prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea, such as a CPAP. Continue to use any treatments or devices as prescribed by your doctor.

Take the Daytime
Sleepiness Quiz

Use these results to have a more productive conversation with your doctor about excessive daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea or narcolepsy.

Important Safety Information

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
have had a heart attack or a stroke.
have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.

WHAT IS SUNOSI?

SUNOSI® (solriamfetol) is a prescription medicine used to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

SUNOSI does not treat the underlying cause of obstructive sleep apnea and does not take the place of any device prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It is important that you continue to use these treatments as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
have had a heart attack or a stroke.
have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.

What are the possible side effects of SUNOSI?

SUNOSI may cause serious side effects, including:

Increased blood pressure and heart rate. SUNOSI can cause blood pressure and heart rate increases that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death. Your doctor should check your blood pressure before, and during, treatment with SUNOSI. Your doctor may decrease your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop high blood pressure that does not go away during treatment with SUNOSI.

Mental (psychiatric) symptoms including anxiety, problems sleeping (insomnia), irritability, and agitation. Tell your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms. Your doctor may change your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop side effects during treatment with SUNOSI.

The most common side effects of SUNOSI include:

•headache
•nausea

•decreased appetite
•anxiety

•problems sleeping

These are not all the possible side effects of SUNOSI. Call your doctor for advice about side effects.

SUNOSI is available in 75 mg and 150 mg tablets and is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it contains solriamfetol that can be a target for people who abuse prescription medicines or street drugs. Keep SUNOSI in a safe place to protect it from theft. Never give or sell your SUNOSI to anyone else because it may cause death or harm them and it is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch

or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

Important Safety Information

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
have had a heart attack or a stroke.
have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.

WHAT IS SUNOSI?

SUNOSI® (solriamfetol) is a prescription medicine used to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

SUNOSI does not treat the underlying cause of obstructive sleep apnea and does not take the place of any device prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It is important that you continue to use these treatments as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
have had a heart attack or a stroke.
have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.

What are the possible side effects of SUNOSI?

SUNOSI may cause serious side effects, including:

The most common side effects of SUNOSI include:

•headache
•nausea

•decreased appetite
•anxiety

•problems sleeping

These are not all the possible side effects of SUNOSI. Call your doctor for advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch

or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.