Late nights, alcohol, and smoking on weekends may be doing more than disrupting Monday mornings -- they could be triggering a newly identified sleep health concern known as "social apnea," warn researchers from Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia. The international study introduces social apnea as a novel trend in sleep medicine referring to the weekend spike in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity, driven by lifestyle choices and irregular sleep patterns.

Researchers  analyzed data from over 70,000 people worldwide, and  found a consistent and significant increase in OSA severity on weekends. Finders experts coined the term "social apnea" to describe this phenomenon. This weekend surge in sleep-disordered breathing may heighten the risk of serious health conditions, including heart disease, depression, dementia, and extreme fatigue and motor vehicle and other accidents, they suggest.

The study found that participants were 18% more likely to have moderate-to-severe OSA on weekends (Saturdays) when compared to mid-week (Wednesdays). Changes in sleep schedules, such as staying up late on weekends or sleeping in, worsened sleep apnea. Sleeping an extra 45 minutes or more on weekends increased the risk of worse sleep apnea by 47%. Men were 21% more likely to be affected, compared to a 9% increase in women.

Keeping a fixed wake-up time; using prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends; and going to bed when feeling sleepy can help ensure enough restorative sleep, which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA, the authors suggest. 

To download the full article, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, click here