The term “Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome” (UARS) is used to describe chronic daytime sleepiness that is often accompanied by snoring, brief yet frequent arousals, and only slightly abnormal breathing. Unlike snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, UARS is often more prevalent among women than men.
Symptoms may include:
- Sleep-onset insomnia
- Headaches
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Depression
- Bruxism (grinding of teeth)
- Rhinitis
- Hypothyroidism
- Asthma
People who suffer from UARS lack the typical findings of apnea, hypopnea and nighttime oxygen desaturation on polysomnography (diagnostic sleep studies). As a result, UARS is often not diagnosed by physicians. However, the arousals and sleep fragmentation related to an increased effort to breathe can be diagnosed by measurement of pressure changes in the esophagus.
Source: Quiet Sleep