Can Physical Inactivity Bring You Sleep Disorders?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects between 2-9% of adults in the United States. Physical inactivity elevates the risk of this disorder, found a new study.

Physical inactivity elevates the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, suggests a new study by researchers from the Brigham and Women's hospital.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing involuntarily stops during sleep. It is estimated to affect between 2-9% of adults in the United States.

Quiz on Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Do you feel sleepy all day despite sleeping normal hours? One of the possible reasons for this sleepiness could be obstructive sleep apnea. Test your knowledge on obstructive sleep apnea by taking this quiz.

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Women in their 60's and adults whose BMI was more significant than or equal to 25 kg/m2 showed stronger associations between a sedentary lifestyle and the diagnoses of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

"Our results suggest that promoting an active lifestyle may have substantial benefits for both prevention and treatment of OSA," said Tianyi Huang, MSc, ScD, an Associate Epidemiologist at Brigham.

The team followed around 130,000 men and women in the United States enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). The follow-up period ranged from 10-to-18 years.

The levels of physical activity of the participants were examined and compared using statistical modeling. Stronger associations of sedentary hours with diagnoses of Obstructive Sleep Apnea were found among women/adults whose BMI was more significant than or equal to 25 kg/m2 or those who were of 65 years of age.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Overview
Obstructive sleep apnea should be suspected in overweight middle aged adults who snore loudly and which can cause interruption of breathing for 10 seconds or more and this results in reduced blood o

"Most prior observational studies on the associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with OSA were cross-sectional, with incomplete exposure assessment and inadequate control for confounding. This is the first prospective study that simultaneously evaluates physical activity and sedentary behavior in relation to OSA risk," highlighted Huang.

The team is now planning to collect similar data using home sleep apnea tests and polysomnography rather than self-reports.

Sleep Disorders in Children - Overview, Types, Diagnosis, Management
Sleep disorders are problems in sleep that meet diagnostic criteria for a disorder. They include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias and narcolepsy.

"For people who spend long hours sitting every day, increasing physical activity in their leisure time can equally lower OSA risk. Similarly, for those who are not able to participate in a lot of physical activity due to physical restrictions, reducing sedentary hours by standing or doing some mild activities could also lower OSA risk. However, those who can lower sedentary time and increase physical activity would have the lowest risk," concluded Huang.

The results of this study were published in the European Respiratory Journal .

Sedentary Lifestyle Could Harm Your Health
Sedentary lifestyle is one that has very little or no physical activity at all, whether at work or at home.

Source-Medindia