An increase in the number of people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea is observed during hot weather, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal.
Sleep apnea, in which a person's breathing is interrupted during the night, not only causes excessive sleepiness, but can increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Researchers from the Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health and the FHMRI research institute at Flinders University in Australia analyzed data from 67,558 people in 17 European countries who regularly use sleep sensors under their mattresses to track their sleep patterns. The data included in the study covered the period from January 2020 to September 2024, when there were an average of two or three heat waves per year in each region studied.
The researchers found that during the summer heat, obstructive sleep apnea became more frequent and more severe. Specifically, the risk of developing moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea increased by 13% at the peak of a heat wave. For every one degree Celsius increase in temperature during a heat wave, the incidence of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea increased by 1.1%. The risk was even greater when humidity was also high.
The team next plans to investigate how warm nights affect breathing during sleep, why obstructive sleep apnea worsens, and whether cooling strategies or any behavioral changes can help reduce the impact.
Link to the scientific publication:
Εττψ://του.οργ/10.1183/13993003.01631-2025
