Snoring and breathing pauses during sleep: telephone interview survey of a United Kingdom population sample.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of snoring, breathing pauses during sleep, and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and determine the relation between these events and sociodemographic variables, other health problems, driving accidents, and consumption of healthcare resources.


METHODS
Telephone interview survey directed by a previously validated computerised system (Sleep-Eval).


METHODS
United Kingdom.


METHODS
2894 women and 2078 men aged 15-100 years who formed a representative sample of the non-institutionalised population.


METHODS
Interview responses.


RESULTS
Forty per cent of the population reported snoring regularly and 3.8% reported breathing pauses during sleep. Regular snoring was significantly associated with male sex, age 25 or more, obesity, daytime sleepiness or naps, night time awakenings, consuming large amounts of caffeine, and smoking. Breathing pauses during sleep were significantly associated with obstructive airways or thyroid disease, male sex, age 35-44 years, consumption of anxiety reducing drugs, complaints of non-restorative sleep, and consultation with a doctor in the past year. The two breathing symptoms were also significantly associated with drowsiness while driving. Based on minimal criteria of the International classification of Sleep Disorders (1990), 1.9% of the sample had obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. In the 35-64 year age group 1.5% of women (95% confidence interval 0.8% to 2.2%) and 3.5% of men (2.4% to 4.6%) had obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
Disordered breathing during sleep is widely underdiagnosed in the United Kingdom. The condition is linked to increased use of medical resources and a greater risk of daytime sleepiness, which augments the risk of accidents. Doctors should ask patients and bed partners regularly about snoring and breathing pauses during sleep.
Ohayon
M M
MM
Centre de Recherche Philippe Pinel de Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Guilleminault
C
C
Priest
R G
RG
Caulet
M
M
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003069:Coffee; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D003069:Coffee