Do you go into social overdrive when the weekend rolls around? You probably know that the behaviors that can go with partying — overeating, drinking, smoking, staying up late — aren’t great for your health.
“Most clinical diagnoses of obstructive sleep apnea are based on just a single night’s data, typically on a weekday, missing the weekend effect,” says lead author Lucia Pinilla, PhD, a research fellow in the department of Sleep Health at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide, Australia.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to see natural patterns at a global scale finding that obstructive sleep apnea worsens on weekends,” Dr. Pinilla says.
In their study, Pinilla and her team found that subjects were 18 percent more likely to have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea on weekends (Saturdays) when compared with midweek (Wednesdays).
Researchers have coined an unofficial new term for this phenomenon: social apnea.
Sleep Troubles Spike on Weekends
The analysis published this week relied on data from more than 70,000 people from 23 countries, each monitored with a validated under-mattress sensor during a sleep study. Participants were 53 years old on average and the majority (81 percent) were men.
Researchers used a standardized scale to rate the severity of participants’ sleep apnea, based on the number of breathing pauses (apneas) and shallow breaths (hypopneas) per hour during sleep.
Sex and Age May Influence Social Apnea Risk
In addition to finding that subjects were 18 percent more likely to have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea on weekends when compared with midweek, the researchers also uncovered sex and age distinctions.
Age also made a difference. Subjects under 60 had a 24 percent higher risk on weekends, compared with a 7 percent higher risk for those 60 and above.
Beware of ‘Social Jetlag’ and the Hazards of Sleeping In
The study authors note that increased social plans on the weekends can create sleep issues similar to jetlag due to changes in sleep schedules and too much sleep.
“Many people sleep later and longer on weekends, essentially shifting their body clock as if they had flown to a different time zone,” says Pinilla.
The results highlighted that sleeping an extra 45 minutes or more on weekends increased the risk of worse sleep apnea by 47 percent.
What Does Sleep Apnea Do to the Body?
- Diabetes
- Strokes
- Heart attacks
- Dementia
- Depression
How Weekend Behaviors Can Be a Bad Influence
“This study is a good reminder for everyone to reexamine weekend behaviors in the name of sleep, such as staying up late, sleeping in, and drinking alcohol,” says Nitun Verma, MD, a sleep physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
While Dr. Verma praises the study for its large number of participants, he points out that reports from home devices will still not be as accurate as lab testing, and future research should include more women. In addition, the investigators note that the study was supported in part by funding from Withings, the makers of the sleep monitoring device used in the research.
As to why alcohol worsens apnea, Verma notes that it relaxes throat muscles, making airway collapse more easily. “Drinking also makes it harder for your brain to wake you when breathing stops, so events last longer,” says Verma, who was not involved in the study.
He adds that REM sleep — a type of deep sleep that people may get more of on weekends — can worsen apnea because throat muscles can become “essentially paralyzed,” making the airway more likely to collapse and hinder breathing.
Smoking can also exacerbate the condition by causing inflammation and swelling in the upper airway, and weight gain from overeating on weekends can make it harder to breathe.
How to Combat Social Apnea
Pinilla offers the following tips to help avoid social apnea:
- Try to practice healthy lifestyle habits, even during the weekend, avoid smoking, and limit your alcohol consumption.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule throughout the week.
- If you utilize apnea treatments like a CPAP machine, use it consistently, even on weekends.
“Keeping consistent schedules and mindful weekend habits could improve your breathing without additional medical intervention,” says Verma. “However, if you have concerns about sleep apnea, I’d recommend discussing it with your doctor. ”