Room oxygen enrichment improves sleep and subsequent day-time performance at high altitude.
We carried out a randomized, double-blind trial at 3800 m altitude to test whether a small degree of room oxygen enrichment at night improves sleep quality, and performance and well-being the following day. Eighteen sea-level residents drove from sea level to 3800 m in one day, and then slept one night in ambient air, and another night in 24% oxygen, the order being randomized. With oxygen enrichment the subjects had fewer apneas (P < 0.01) and spent less time in periodic breathing with apneas (P < 0.01) than when they slept in ambient air. Subjective assessments of sleep quality were also significantly improved. There was a lower acute mountain sickness score during the morning after oxygen-enriched sleep (P < 0.01) and a greater increase in arterial oxygen saturation from evening to morning (P < 0.05). The larger increases in arterial oxygen saturation from evening to morning suggest that the control of breathing may have been altered. Installing an oxygen-enriched room at high altitude is relatively simple and inexpensive, and shows promise for improving well-being of both commuters and residents.
Luks
A M
AM
Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0623, USA.
van Melick
H
H
Batarse
R R
RR
Powell
F L
FL
Grant
I
I
West
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen