Sleep apnea:
everything you need to know.
You snore, you are exhausted after eight hours in bed, you wake up with a headache. It could be sleep apnea. In Belgium, 80% of cases are still undiagnosed.
I think something is wrong with my sleep
Where to start, to understand and to act
I have just been diagnosed
The practical steps after your diagnosis
I am already on CPAP
Getting the most out of your treatment, day to day
It is for someone close to me
Understanding it, to be of real help
1 in 5
of people in Belgium affected by sleep apnea
80%
of cases go undiagnosed
3×
higher cardiovascular risk
68
sleep centers in Belgium
Understand it, get diagnosed, get treated
After more than ten years in a sleep laboratory, I have seen too many patients arrive after years of being passed around. This site brings together what you need to know, without the jargon.
What is sleep apnea?
How it works, the different types, the risk factors. And above all: why it matters if it goes untreated.
Check your risk
STOP-BANG, Epworth, Berlin: three validated questionnaires, free, with immediate results. Two minutes.
68 centers in Belgium
Every NIHDI-accredited sleep center on one map. Brussels, Wallonia, Flanders.
Treatments
CPAP, oral appliance, surgery, positional therapy. What works, what is reimbursed, what you should know.
Your path
From the first doubt to treatment
The path is long when you do not know where to start. Here are the steps, one by one.
Recognize the symptoms
Fatigue, snoring, headaches on waking...
Get a diagnosis
Respiratory polygraphy, polysomnography: the four steps
The NIHDI CPAP agreement
Reimbursement, the four-hour rule, renewal
Starting CPAP well
Practical advice for the first nights
Sleep hygiene
Habits and surroundings that help you sleep
Resources and guides
Glossary, patient stories, community
Recognizing sleep apnea
Does any of this sound familiar?
The trouble with apnea is that you do not notice it. You are asleep, you feel nothing. Your body, meanwhile, takes the strain. If several of these ring true, it is worth looking into.
All the symptomsInteractive map
Find a sleep center in Belgium
All 68 accredited sleep centers in Belgium. Find the one nearest you, in Brussels, Wallonia or Flanders.
Open the map68
Accredited centers
3
Regions covered
100%
Verified information
Free
Access to the map
About
Who is behind this site?
My name is Andy Leleux. I have been a sleep technologist for more than ten years, specialised in CPAP therapy. I started Association Apnée because too many patients reach the sleep laboratory after years without a diagnosis. The information is out there, but it is scattered, often only in English, or buried in medical jargon.
This site brings together what a patient in Belgium needs to know about sleep apnea. No advertising, no sponsored content in disguise. Just checked information, written to be used.
Toolbox
Are you on CPAP?
These are the tools I wish I had when I started working with patients. They are free.
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