2026 Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick revealed on Tuesday that he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and described what he has been dealing with for years. Reddick described needing ‘mountains of caffeine’ in the morning and ‘crazy dreams’ akin to nightmares.
Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder where a person’s breathing is constantly interrupted while sleeping, typically due to a blockage of air flow.
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“Looking back, I had sleep apnea symptoms for a long time, but I didn’t think it was something that could affect me,” said Reddick. “I noticed a difference after night one of using my Resmed CPAP therapy, and it completely changed the way I approach recovery, preparation and performance. I’ve realized that a competitive edge is built through the habits you commit to every day, and prioritizing my sleep health has become one of the most important. If sharing my experience helps someone else recognize the signs and take action, that’s a win.”
Reddick initially dismissed the symptoms, which included loud snoring, morning headaches, low energy and waking up feeling unrested. OSA, which is the most common form of sleep apnea, impacts roughly one billion people across the world but over 80% of those cases remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Reddick hopes to change that by sharing his own struggles with sleep apnea via a new partnership with Resmed, a “health technology company focused on sleep, breathing and care delivered in the home.” Reddick started using the company’s CPAP equipment to alleviate his own sleep apnea months before any partnership came to fruition.
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“I think just mentally, I’m naturally in a better place than I normally would be, year in, year out,” noted Reddick in an interview with NASCAR.com.
Resmed will sponsor Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota in the upcoming Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 19), Talladega Superspeedway (October 25), and the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale (November 8).
“Tyler’s willingness to share his story helps challenge outdated assumptions about who can have sleep apnea,” said Carlos Nunez, MD, chief medical officer at Resmed. “Sleep apnea affects people of all ages, body types and health profiles, yet many people may not realize their daytime fatigue could be connected to how they breathe at night. By amplifying Tyler’s journey, we hope more people recognize the signs, seek care and experience the life-changing benefits CPAP treatment can have on their health.”
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