What the sleep study showed
Sleep apnoea is usually diagnosed with an overnight sleep study that counts how often your breathing pauses. Your sleep clinic will have described it as mild, moderate or severe, and the insurer will ask which. It helps to have the letter from the clinic to hand.
They also ask what treatment you were offered. Mild apnoea may be managed by weight loss, sleeping position or a mouth guard. Moderate or severe apnoea is often treated with a CPAP machine, which keeps your airway open with gentle air pressure through a mask.
- Severity from your sleep study
- Treatment and whether you use it every night
- Daytime sleepiness and any effect on driving
- Weight, neck size and blood pressure
- Any heart rhythm problems
Why using CPAP every night matters
Treated sleep apnoea is a very different risk from untreated sleep apnoea. Regular CPAP use reduces the strain on your heart and improves daytime alertness. Underwriters want to know you use it most nights, and some ask whether your clinic has confirmed this from the machine's records.
If you were prescribed CPAP but stopped using it, say so and explain why. Some people find a different mask or a mouth guard works better. The insurer can then judge your current situation fairly.
The terms you might be offered
Mild apnoea, or moderate apnoea well treated with CPAP and no other concerns, often gets standard terms. Severe apnoea, apnoea that is not treated, or apnoea alongside a high BMI, high blood pressure or heart rhythm problems can bring a loading. If you are waiting for a sleep study, an insurer may postpone until you have a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Critical illness cover looks at the heart and stroke risk linked to untreated apnoea, so terms there can differ from life cover. Income protection insurers may ask about daytime sleepiness and your job, particularly if you drive for work.
Mention it, even if treatment works well
Once a CPAP machine is part of your routine, it is easy to forget it counts as a medical condition. Your clinic letters and GP record will show the diagnosis. If the application asks about sleep or breathing disorders, include it.
Rules about driving with sleep apnoea are set by the DVLA and are separate from insurance. Follow them, and answer the insurer's questions on their own terms. If your partner has noticed loud snoring or pauses in your breathing and you have not yet seen a doctor about it, there is no diagnosis to declare. Once you have been referred, though, the referral counts.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with sleep apnoea
Most people with treated apnoea find the process straightforward. We make sure your severity, treatment and related health details are clear so the underwriter can decide quickly. If your clinic can confirm how often you use your machine, we will suggest you have that to hand, as it answers the question insurers most often follow up on.
If your apnoea sits alongside weight, blood pressure or heart concerns, we know which insurers on our panel weigh the overall picture more favourably and we start there. Where a nurse check is needed, we explain what it involves and help arrange a time that suits you.