Snoring + insomnia, double the health risk

We all know that if you do not sleep well at night, there will be various health problems. Sleep apnea and insomnia are two very common sleep problems, which are closely related to many chronic diseases. Recently, Australian researchers have discovered that if these two types of sleep problems occur at the same time, the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease is higher, and the risk of death is also significantly increased. Sleep Apnea plus insomnia — High risk of chronic diseases — The study included more than 5,000 adults, about 60 years old, and 52% were women. Among them, 52% had no sleep apnea or insomnia, 3% had only insomnia, 42% had sleep apnea, and the remaining 3% had both sleep apnea and insomnia. In this study, insomnia was defined as: difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep, and (or) waking up ≥16 times a month, affecting daytime activities. Sleep apnea is defined as: apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 times/hour during sleep. During the 15-year follow-up period, compared with people without sleep apnea and insomnia, people with both sleep problems at the same time doubled the risk of hypertension and increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 70%; only insomnia or sleep apnea Of people, just have an increased risk of high blood pressure. In addition, people who have both sleep apnea and insomnia have a 47% increased risk of death. According to the researchers, this is the first study to assess the risk of death in patients with simultaneous sleep apnea and insomnia. Because these people have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, when screening for one type of sleep problem, you should also be screened for the other. For such people, special treatment may be needed. Sleep Difference — Often due to sleep apnea — Many previous studies have confirmed that sleep apnea and insomnia are risk factors for chronic diseases. A previous study published in the European Heart Journal showed that unconscious awakening during night sleep increases the risk of death, especially in women who are more affected by unconscious awakening. This study included 8001 elderly people. During an average follow-up of 6 to 11 years, women who most frequently experienced unconscious awakening or a longer period of unconscious awakening had almost twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease as the average women without these conditions. Unconscious arousal, also called cortical arousal, is a normal part of sleep. It is spontaneous and is the body’s response to potentially dangerous situations such as noise or respiratory obstruction. According to the researchers, a common cause of night awakening is obstructive sleep apnea. People who often experience unconscious awakening at night usually feel tired in the morning due to sleep fragments. In addition, a study published by scholars of Qilu Medical College of Shandong University in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that insomnia may cause 9 cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, and deep vein thrombosis. , Pulmonary embolism, coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease. Sleep Sufficient time, no insomnia, no snoring — Is healthy sleep — So, what is a healthy sleep mode? A Sino-American study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology mentioned that healthy sleep includes 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day, usually not insomnia, not snoring, usually not sleepy during the day, and early to bed and early to wake up. How can we improve these sleep problems? The research published by Chronic Disease Research suggests that, whether women or men, moderate to high levels of physical activity can reduce insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep and daytime dysfunction. For women, high-level occupational activities, housework, and recreational physical activities can all reduce insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, early awakening, and daytime dysfunction. For men, medium to high-level housework will reduce the difficulty of falling asleep, but it will lead to early awakening. “Guidelines for the Primary Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults (2018)” pointed out that during the day, lethargy, unrecovered energy after waking up, fatigue or insomnia, waking up due to holding breath, wheezing or suffocation at night, habitual snoring, observable respiratory interruption, etc. Symptoms are related manifestations of sleep apnea. When sleep apnea is suspected or when sleep apnea has been diagnosed, it should be treated promptly. In addition, it can also be improved by changing sleeping position, reducing weight, using a ventilator, etc.

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