A new study has just found that sleep apnea and snoring have big health effects.
More and more people are affected by breathing problems during sleep. A new study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has just revealed that because of their bad nights, people who snored frequently or had sleep apnea were less active during their day. However, the latter go further by providing some details on this link between sleep disorders and periods of activity.
More sedentary lifestyle among people with sleep-disordered breathing
In detail, the results of the study show that people who snore adopt a sedentary posture for 36 minutes more per day than non-snorers. This finding is the same in people at risk of sleep apnea. They would indeed be sedentary for 55 minutes more each day.
Dr. Michael Grandner, director of the research program on sleep and health at the University of Arizona and lead author of the study, explains that “these problems do not only affect the night. They can lead to more fatigue and less energy, which can impact everything from mood and stress to – as we’ve seen – activity level. Perhaps this is why the simple act of snoring can have an impact on health and well-being”.
As a reminder, sleep apnea affects 30% of people over 65 years old. Engaging characterized by repeated and uncontrolled interruptions of breathing during the night. The latter can last between 10 and 30 seconds on average and can take place up to 5 times per hour of sleep and a hundred times per night. They thus cause a lack of oxygen, thus causing the brain to react, which will then wake up the person so that he can resume his breathing. The study highlights in particular that these short awakenings, called “micro-awakenings”, are unconscious in people suffering from sleep apnea.