The sleep/wake habits of patients diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the sleep/wake habits of patients diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea (ie, respiratory event index [REI] > or = 5).


METHODS
Case series with prospective data collection to determine the relationship among sleepiness, REI, and sleep/wake habits. Patients were grouped according to their multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) results (< or = 5 and > 5) and REI (mild REI < or = 20; moderate REI > 20 but < or = 60; and severe REI > 60).


METHODS
An American Sleep Disorders Association-accredited sleep laboratory.


METHODS
Three hundred ninety (325 male, 65 female) consecutive patients seen between June 1993 and January 1995 for evaluation of sleep apnea. This included a sleep, medical, and psychiatric evaluation followed by a physical examination. Sleep histories and sleep/wake habits were recorded by a physician trained in sleep medicine. Polysomnographic evaluation consisted of a nocturnal clinical polysomnogram (CPSG) and an MSLT on the following day. Of 390 patients, 268 completed polysomnographic evaluation (CPSG and MSLT).


RESULTS
Sleepy (MSLT < or = 5) patients with mild (REI < or = 20) and moderate apnea (REI > 20 < or = 60) reported spending significantly less time in bed than sleepy patients with severe apnea (REI > 60). Those with severe apnea (REI > 60) reported napping significantly more and experienced a more severe disruption of their routine daily activities because of sleepiness when compared with mild and moderate OSA patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that sleep habits have an important modulatory effect on the level of sleepiness and this effect is lost as the severity of sleep-disordered breathing increases.
Rosenthal
L
L
Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Bishop
C
C
Guido
P
P
Syron
M L
ML
Helmus
T
T
Rice
F M
FM
Roth
T
T
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012890:Sleep; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012894:Sleep Stages; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness