My partner says I stop breathing at night, but I feel mostly fine; is this apnea?

I have always been a heavy snorer, but recently my partner started nudging me awake, claiming I stop breathing for terrifying ten-second intervals. Honestly, I wake up feeling like I've been hit by a truck most mornings, but I always assumed that was just modern life and a high-stress job. I started tracking my heart rate with my smartwatch, and the data shows some weird dips overnight, though it’s hardly medical grade. I am skeptical about jumping straight to a CPAP machine—it feels like a major lifestyle change—but the thought of oxygen deprivation is starting to gnaw at me. Has anyone here had to fight the stigma of a sleep study diagnosis? Did the treatment actually change your daytime clarity, or is the adjustment period as miserable as the forums make it sound? I would love to hear from people who were initially in denial like me.