Celebrities Who Died Of Sleep Apnea

Trigger warning: This article mentions substance misuse.

Loud snoring. Nighttime snorting. Waking up gasping for air in the middle of the night. They're all signs of a potentially deadly condition called obstructive sleep apnea (or simply sleep apnea). In fact, numerous superstars' deaths have been at least partially caused by sleep apnea.

According to the National Council on Aging, around 39 million individuals over age 18 are living with sleep apnea. Yet the American Medical Association notes that just six million of those individuals have received a diagnosis, let alone treatment. That's a problem because untreated and unmanaged sleep apnea puts people at risk of developing serious — and sometimes fatal — issues such as cardiovascular disease.

But what makes sleep apnea a potential threat? Sleep apnea episodes put a lot of strain on the body. During a sleep apnea episode, the esophageal airway becomes blocked by sagging tissues at the back of the throat. This causes the sleeper to stop breathing for seconds, and then suddenly and forcibly exhale or inhale, creating a snoring effect.

Though sleep apnea might sound like a bedtime nuisance, it's more than just an annoyance. Over time, people with sleep apnea find it difficult to get recuperative bouts of sleep. Therefore, they experience progressively worsening sleep deprivation symptoms. At the same time, they increase their chances of developing (and possibly even dying because of) a host of healthcare complications.

In late 2016, actress Carrie Fisher (best known for portraying Princess Leia in several Star Wars movies) was traveling by plane when her heart stopped functioning. Medical personnel tried to revive her, but were ultimately unsuccessful at their attempts. Although most people assumed that Fisher simply died of cardiac arrest, the coroner listed sleep apnea as one of the primary causes of her death (via the Los Angeles Times). 

The relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular conditions is becoming better documented. A 2020 article in Cardiovascular Pathology examined just how connected sudden cardiac death and sleep apnea can be. In the editorial piece, the authors opined that, based on their findings, obstructive sleep apnea "has been associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, including sudden cardiac death." 

In a 2022 study published in Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders, researchers examined the relationship between limited breathing abilities caused by sleep apnea and the likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease. They concluded that as sleep apnea worsened, so too did the risk of cardiovascular disease death.

Known throughout India for decades, singer Bappi Lahiri died in 2022. According to the Hindustan Times, Lahiri's death was the result of a combination of healthcare issues. Upon returning home after being hospitalized, he reportedly died fom sleep apnea. As a public service, the publication used Lahiri's story to talk about sleep apnea and its warning signs.

Another singer whose death has been attributed partially to sleep apnea is The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia. Though Garcia's official cause of death in 1995 was attributed to heart failure, some have linked it to sleep apnea, partly because death is the condition's "most notable complication" (via NewsNation).

Amanda Peterson is someone else whose early demise might have been exacerbated by alleged sleep apnea troubles. Best known for her role in "Can't Buy Me Love," the film star who rose to the top in the 1980s died in 2015 at age 43 of an accidental overdose (via People). However, in an interview with TMZ prior to the release of the county coroner's report, the actor's father shared that she "had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed."