What is UARS? The Sleep Disorder Doctors Miss

You're exhausted. You've been to the doctor. You've had the bloodwork. Maybe you've even had a sleep study.

And everything came back "normal."

But you don't feel normal. You feel like you're wading through concrete. You wake up with a racing heart, or a dry mouth, or just a profound sense of dread.

It might be Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS).

The "Mini-Suffocation"

Unlike Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), where the airway completely collapses and you stop breathing, UARS is more subtle.

Imagine breathing through a narrow straw. You're getting enough oxygen (usually), so your oxygen levels don't drop. But the effort required to pull air through that narrow tube is immense.

Your body treats this resistance as a threat. It triggers a stress response.

Why Standard Tests Miss It

Standard sleep studies look for two main things:

Apneas: Complete pauses in breathing.
Desaturations: Drops in blood oxygen levels.

In UARS, you might not have either. Instead, you have RERAs (Respiratory Effort Related Arousals).

Basically, your brain senses the struggle to breathe and jolts you out of deep sleep just enough to open the airway. You might not wake up fully, but you never get the restorative deep sleep you need. You spend the night in a state of low-grade fight-or-flight.

Common Symptoms

Chronic fatigue (even after "sleeping" 8+ hours)
Cold hands and feet (poor circulation from chronic stress)
Anxiety and "wired but tired" feeling
Low blood pressure (or dizziness upon standing - POTS)
Digestive issues (IBS is common)
Teeth grinding (bruxism)
Waking up frequently to pee (nocturia)

Getting Diagnosed

If this sounds like you, don't give up. You need a sleep study that scores RERAs. Many home tests don't pick this up. You may need to specifically ask for a "watchPAT" test or an in-lab study with a doctor who understands UARS.

Note: I am not a doctor. This is based on my personal research and experience. Please consult a sleep specialist.