Latest news with #AmericanJournalofRespiratoryandCriticalCareMedicine
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Feeling depressed or out of sorts after the weekend? You could have 'social apnoea'
It's common to feel tired and apprehensive on a Monday morning, and that can be especially true after a big weekend. New research has mapped how people's quality of sleep changes throughout the week, and has found patterns between fatigue and behaviour. It's estimated around one billion people worldwide have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that impacts their quality of sleep. Australian researchers have found this underlying condition is more prevalent on weekends than on weekdays, and they have labelled this phenomenon — 'social apnoea'. It can affect anyone, even if you don't typically show symptoms of OSA during the week. So why is that the case? 'Social jet lag' Professor Danny Eckert, a sleep health expert from Flinders University, was one of the lead researchers in the study that was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He described social apnoea as a kind of "social jet lag", a feeling that can arise after the weekend, when our behaviours often differ from those on weekdays. "We know that people who smoke tend to smoke more on the weekend. We know that people who drink tend to drink more on the weekend," he told SBS News. "They are two sort of lifestyles or social factors if you like, that are very influential in the way we sleep and breathe." Eckert said another key change in weekend behaviour is that our sleep patterns often change, which can cause problems with our sleep quality and overall mood. People who sleep in on weekends were found to have a 50 per cent higher risk of developing a sleep disorder, according to the study. "Our circadian rhythm, or our body clock, is slow to move; it takes several days to adjust," he said. "So if we suddenly change our sleep timing, and we've all experienced this at different times with jet lag and these kinds of things, we're sleeping out of whack from what our body wants us to." What are the long-term effects? Weekend surge in sleep-disordered breathing may heighten the risk of serious health conditions, according to the research. This includes heart disease, depression, dementia, and extreme fatigue. The research found people under 60 and males were two groups more likely to suffer from social apnoea. While the exact reason is unclear, Eckert said it's likely due to behavioural factors. "We know that men tend to be drinking more alcohol than women and perhaps they're having later nights and going to sleep after women," he said. "We also know that men get sleep apnoea more, so they are more prone to 'social apnoea' in the first place." Eckert said beyond seeking clinical treatment for sleep apnoea, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to combat social apnoea. In particular, going to bed and waking up at consistent times can help establish a healthier sleep pattern. "If people are feeling tired during the day, having some trouble staying asleep, or maybe they are waking up with morning headaches, maybe they're being told that they snore loudly; these are all warning signs that you may have sleep apnoea, and it's worth having a conversation with your GP."
The Age
5 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Sleeping in on the weekend? You could be triggering ‘social apnoea'
If you're struggling to get through the Monday slump, 'social apnoea' may be to blame. Published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an Australian-led team of researchers analysed global data from more than 70,000 people, finding a significant and consistent increase in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on weekends. What is obstructive sleep apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which airways are partially or completely blocked during sleep. The condition is associated with higher all-cause mortality, and if left untreated, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep that others may notice. What did this new study find? Professor Danny Eckert, director of Flinders' Health and Medical Research Sleep Health Centre and senior author on the paper, says the research was significant for its scale. Most clinical diagnoses of sleep apnoea are based on only a single night's data, usually collected on a weekday. By collecting data from participants with an under-mattress tracker, they were 'able to measure people over multiple nights, and in this case, on average using about one year's worth of data', Eckert says.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sleeping in on the weekend? You could be triggering ‘social apnoea'
If you're struggling to get through the Monday slump, 'social apnoea' may be to blame. Published Wednesday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an Australian-led team of researchers analysed global data from more than 70,000 people, finding a significant and consistent increase in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on weekends. What is obstructive sleep apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which airways are partially or completely blocked during sleep. The condition is associated with higher all-cause mortality, and if left untreated, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep others may notice. What did this new study find? Professor Danny Eckert, director of Flinders' Health and Medical Research Sleep Health Centre and senior author on the paper, says the research was significant for its scale. Most clinical diagnoses of sleep apnoea are based on only a single night's data, usually collected on a weekday. By collecting data from participants with an under-mattress tracker, they were 'able to measure people over multiple nights, and in this case, on average using about one year's worth of data,' says Eckert.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Staying up late on the weekends could make this common sleep disorder worse
Staying up late over the weekend could make a common sleep disorder worse, a new study has found. An estimated 936 million adults worldwide suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is when the airways repeatedly collapse during sleep, causing pauses in breathing, frequent sleep disruptions, loud snoring, and daytime fatigue. The latest study suggests the sleep disorder's actual toll may be even greater, after researchers identified a spike in severity over the weekends driven by lifestyle choices and irregular sleep. 'Sleep is already a major public health issue, but our findings suggest its true impact may be underestimated,' Lucia Pinilla, one of the study's authors and a sleep researcher at Flinders University in Australia, said in a statement. 'Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single night, typically a weeknight, missing the weekend effect we're now calling 'social apnoea,'' she added. Related Blowing a conch shell: Could this ancient practice improve your sleep? Pinilla's team analysed data for about 70,000 people worldwide whose sleep quality was tracked using a monitor placed under their mattresses. Sleep disruptions were much more common over the weekends, the study found. People were 18 per cent more likely to have moderate or severe OSA on Saturdays compared to Wednesdays. Changes to sleep schedules – either staying up late or sleeping in – worsened sleep apnoea. For example, sleeping an extra 45 minutes on weekends raised the risk of severe sleep disruptions by 47 per cent. Lifestyle and age-related factors also appear to play a role. Adults ages 60 or older had a 7 per cent higher risk on weekends, compared with 24 per cent of those under 60. Related How much sleep do we really need? Here's what the experts say The findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. How sleep apnoea affects health Sleep apnoea can have more serious consequences than a poor night's rest. If left untreated, the condition may raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, depression, and dementia. Pinilla warned that the weekend spike could raise the risk of these health issues even more. Many people with OSA use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine when they sleep to ensure regular airflow and prevent breathing interruptions and snoring overnight. Danny Eckert, one of the study's authors, said people with OSA should also try to maintain a regular sleep routine and get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, even on the weekends. 'Keeping a fixed wake-up time and using your prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends, and going to bed when you feel sleepy will help ensure you frequently get enough restorative sleep which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA,' Eckert said.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Staying up late on the weekends could make your sleep apnoea worse
Staying up late over the weekend could make a common sleep disorder worse, a new study has found. An estimated 936 million adults worldwide suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is when the airways repeatedly collapse during sleep, causing pauses in breathing, frequent sleep disruptions, loud snoring, and daytime fatigue. The latest study suggests the sleep disorder's actual toll may be even greater, after researchers identified a spike in severity over the weekends driven by lifestyle choices and irregular sleep. 'Sleep is already a major public health issue, but our findings suggest its true impact may be underestimated,' Lucia Pinilla, one of the study's authors and a sleep researcher at Flinders University in Australia, said in a statement. 'Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single night, typically a weeknight, missing the weekend effect we're now calling 'social apnoea,'' she added. Pinilla's team analysed data for about 70,000 people worldwide whose sleep quality was tracked using a monitor placed under their mattresses. Sleep disruptions were much more common over the weekends, the study found. People were 18 per cent more likely to have moderate or severe OSA on Saturdays compared to Wednesdays. Changes to sleep schedules – either staying up late or sleeping in – worsened sleep apnoea. For example, sleeping an extra 45 minutes on weekends raised the risk of severe sleep disruptions by 47 per cent. Lifestyle and age-related factors also appear to play a role. Adults ages 60 or older had a 7 per cent higher risk on weekends, compared with 24 per cent of those under 60. The findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. How sleep apnoea affects health Sleep apnoea can have more serious consequences than a poor night's rest. If left untreated, the condition may raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, depression, and dementia. Pinilla warned that the weekend spike could raise the risk of these health issues even more. Many people with OSA use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine when they sleep to ensure regular airflow and prevent breathing interruptions and snoring overnight. Danny Eckert, one of the study's authors, said people with OSA should also try to maintain a regular sleep routine and get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, even on the weekends. 'Keeping a fixed wake-up time and using your prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends, and going to bed when you feel sleepy will help ensure you frequently get enough restorative sleep which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA,' Eckert said.
