New Research on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity Over the Weekend
For those dealing with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it seems that symptoms might worsen as the weekend approaches. Researchers from Flinders University in Australia have observed that OSA symptoms tend to be more severe at the end of the week.
A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine analyzed sleep data from over 70,000 users of the Matt Stress Sleep Monitor, which gauged weekly severity of OSA. They particularly looked at the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), a measure of sleep duration and apnea severity.
Most of the participants were middle-aged men who were overweight, experiencing an average of five or more episodes of OSA each night.
The findings indicated that OSA severity “increased significantly” over weekends, with an 18% rise on Saturdays compared to Wednesdays. Overall severity scores were found to be 6% higher on weekends than on typical weekdays. Interestingly, the increase was notably greater among males and participants younger than 60.
This study illustrates a global trend in OSA severity worsening over the weekend, a phenomenon researchers are referring to as “social apnea.” Factors like weekend sleep catch-up and “social jet lag”—the disconnect between one’s natural circadian rhythm and societal schedules—were linked to increased OSA occurrences by 47% and 38%, respectively, during the weekend.
The authors also noted that other factors, such as increased alcohol consumption and smoking, could further exacerbate OSA severity. “This aligns with previous findings that disrupted sleep correlates with higher OSA probabilities,” the authors remarked. Weekend catch-up sleep and social jet lag tend to be problematic since OSA is often more pronounced during REM sleep.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, a sleep expert and licensed clinical psychologist, commented on these findings, acknowledging their implications on the variability of OSA severity linked to typical weekend behaviors, including increased alcohol intake and missed CPAP treatments. She emphasized that all these factors can disturb sleep and disrupt circadian rhythms, ultimately worsening apnea severity.
Experts suggest that sleep tests conducted on weekdays may not always reflect the true severity of OSA. They recommend individuals maintain a consistent sleep-wake routine throughout the week, limit alcohol consumption, and adhere to prescribed CPAP treatments every night.
