Late nights, alcohol, and smoking on weekends could also be doing greater than disrupting your Monday mornings, they may very well be triggering a newly recognized sleep well being concern often called ‘social apnea’, warn researchers from Flinders University.
Published within the prestigious American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the worldwide examine introduces social apnea as a novel pattern in sleep medication referring to the weekend spike in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) severity, pushed by way of life selections and irregular sleep patterns.
The analysis, which analyzed information from over 70,000 folks worldwide, discovered a constant and important improve in OSA severity on weekends. Experts from FHMRI Sleep Health FHMRI Sleep Health coined the time period ‘social apnea’ to explain this phenomenon.
Sleep apnea is already a serious public well being difficulty, however our findings counsel its true impression could also be underestimated.
Most scientific diagnostic testing is finished on a single evening, usually a weeknight, lacking the weekend impact we’re now calling social apnea.”
Dr. Lucia Pinilla, lead writer and Research Fellow from FHMRI Sleep Health
Dr Pinilla explains that this weekend surge in sleep-disordered respiratory might heighten the chance of significant well being circumstances together with coronary heart illness, despair, dementia, and excessive fatigue and motorized vehicle and different accidents.
The examine discovered that contributors had been 18% extra more likely to have average to extreme OSA on weekends (Saturdays) when in comparison with mid-week (Wednesdays).
Changes in sleep schedules, comparable to staying up late on weekends or sleeping in, worsened sleep apnea.
Sleeping an additional 45 minutes or extra on weekends elevated the chance of worse sleep apnea by 47%. Men had been 21% extra more likely to be affected, in comparison with a 9% improve in girls.
Younger adults (beneath 60) had a 24% greater danger on weekends, in comparison with 7% in these aged 60 and above.
Matthew Flinders Professor Danny Eckert, Director of FHMRI Sleep Health and senior writer on the paper says that is the primary proof that OSA severity will increase on the weekend.
“We don’t yet know exactly why, but alcohol use, lighter sleep, and less consistent use of OSA therapies likely play a role.”
Dr. Bastien Lechat, lead writer of a separate article simply printed within the prestigious Nature’s Communications Medicine journal says comparable mechanisms might drive seasonal variability in OSA severity.
“OSA tends to be worse during summer and winter, with severity increasing by 8–19% compared to spring and autumn,” says Dr. Lechat.
“This seasonal spike is partly explained by higher temperatures, which disrupt sleep and lead to lighter sleep stages which is associated with worse OSA. In winter, longer sleep and later wake up times, increase time spent in REM sleep, which is also linked to more frequent apnea events.”
Professor Eckert says that these findings align with the idea of ‘social apnea’ and spotlight the necessity for multi-night sleep assessments and extra personalised approaches to analysis and therapy.
“Relying on a single-night sleep study may miss important variations, leading to underdiagnosis or misclassification of OSA severity,” says Professor Eckert.
To fight ‘social apnea’, Professor Eckert recommends sustaining an everyday sleep routine.
“Try to keep the same sleep schedule throughout the week and weekend, ensuring that you get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night,” he says.
“Keeping a fixed wake-up time and using your prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends, and going to bed when you feel sleepy will help ensure you frequently get enough restorative sleep which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA.”
OSA is a typical sleep problem affecting round one billion folks globally. It is attributable to repeated airway collapse throughout sleep and, if untreated, will increase the chance of coronary heart illness, diabetes, cognitive decline, despair, and even loss of life. People involved about their sleep ought to communicate with their GP.
Source:
Journal reference:
Pinilla, L., et al. (2025) “Social Apnea”: Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Exacerbated on Weekends. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202505-1184RL.