Sleep Apnea Severity Increases in Pregnancy

kperkins — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:52:30 GMT

Severity of Sleep Apnea may increase during pregnancy Press Release – Associated Professionals Sleep Societies

Women in the third trimester of pregnancy may experience an increase in the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and associated blood pressure levels, according to a study in the journal Sleep.

The study shows that the severity of OSA is much higher in women during late pregnancy than it is after they have given birth. This includes an increased number of pauses in breathing, reduced oxygen saturation levels, and approximately two times as many arousals from sleep.

While results also show that overall blood pressure levels during sleep are only moderately elevated in late pregnancy, these levels fluctuate severely due to the cycles of pauses in breathing. “Physicians currently have the tendency to believe that pregnancy is protective against the development of OSA and are therefore less likely to consider symptoms that are indicative of sleep-disordered breathing,” says Dr. Edwards, “and this increased level of OSA during pregnancy may remain undiagnosed.”

No Difference In Sleep Of OSA Patients Studied In A Hospital Vs. A Hotel-Based Sleep Center

ttillman — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:45:50 GMT

No Difference In Sleep Of OSA Patients Studied In A Hospital Vs. A Hotel-Based Sleep Center
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104256.php

A study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM) finds no significant difference in sleep parameters associated with the first-night effect in patients undergoing sleep studies in a hotel and a hospital-based sleep laboratory.

Kimberly N. Hutchison, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., reviewed polysomnograms, or sleep tests, completed in their hotel-based and hospital-based sleep laboratories over a two-year period. All patients were undergoing evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dr. Hutchison and her colleagues compared the sleep architecture changes associated with the first-night effect in the two groups.

According to the results, no significant differences were detected between the two groups in sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, REM sleep latency, total amount of slow wave sleep, and total stage 1 sleep. There was also no difference detected in arousal index between the two groups.

"Hotel-based sleep laboratories are growing. It is not known how this new environment will affect clinical studies," said Dr. Hutchison. "This study is meaningful because it suggests that the increased comfort and familiarity offered by a hotel setting doesn't necessarily change the sleep architecture, at least in our patient subgroup (patients referred for suspected sleep apnea). Perhaps our patients are more familiar with a hospital rather than a hotel!"

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Sleep Apnea Severity Increases in Pregnancy

No Difference In Sleep Of OSA Patients Studied In A Hospital Vs. A Hotel-Based Sleep Center