Some signs of OSA include snoring, snorting, choking, gasping, insomnia, bruxism (clenching and grinding teeth), restlessness and long pauses in breathing while sleeping. The problem with some of these signs is that it requires observation from a bed partner or a parent. A deep sleeping bed partner may miss these signs.

Some signs that a person has OSA may include excessive daytime fatigue or sleepiness during routine activities (such as driving, reading, watching TV), blood shot and/or puffy eyes, dark under eye circles, dry mouth (from mouth breathing), sore throat (from snoring), morning headaches, memory loss, mental fogginess, concentration problems, cognitive impairment, speed and accuracy issues, depression, low sex drive, and personality changes.

A sleep trained dentist may observe other clues that a person has OSA such as worn down teeth and gum loss (from bruxism), broken teeth and fillings, redness of soft palate (from snoring), deep palate, enlarged and scalloped tongue, enlarged uvula, enlarged tonsils, coated tongue (from mouth breathing and snoring), and sore head and neck muscles.