Sleep is a fundamental part of life, so much so that without adequate rest, multiple vital functions are affected. Thanks to scientific research, we also know that little sleep makes asthma worse and these patients are more sensitive.
As a respiratory disease, asthma has a chronicity that can be mild or severe. In mild forms there are intermittent symptoms, but in severe cases or asthmatic attacks, rest is disturbed and bronchospasm may occur during sleep.
At the same time, new findings reveal it little sleep worsens asthma in the form of poor relationship with each other. The worse the rest of the patient, the higher the chances of suffering from signs of the disease during the day.
A special mention deserves the ailment known as Sleep apnea. It is common for people who have had asthma for years and tend to be overweight to experience nighttime awakenings that result from momentary shortness of breath while sleeping.
As we go along, little sleep makes asthma worse, but behind it lurks a more complex problem where risk factors combine. This does not exempt heart or cardiovascular disease.
Study says that little sleep makes asthma worse
In the latest edition of magazine Annals of allergy, asthma and immunology a study has been published who say that not getting enough sleep makes asthma worse. Similarly, research reports that other sleep disorders have the same negative effect.
The authors evaluated asthmatics over the age of 20 and divided them into three study groups:
- Who has slept little: less than 6 hours.
- Those who slept for a time established as adequate: between 6 and 8 hours.
- Who slept a lot: more than 9 hours.
In the first place, the last group already marked a composition trend, mainly dealing with elderly women and smokers. Conversely, those who got fewer hours of sleep tended to be younger.
Long-term, after follow-up, the group with fewer hours of sleep had more hospitalizations for asthma attacks and an increased frequency of dry cough. The same did not happen with those who slept a lot, despite being a group that showed problems in carrying out the activities of daily living.
These results, in addition to underlining that little sleep worsens asthma, have alerted researchers to the effect of sleep on respiratory dynamics. There may be a physiological link between breathing and the resting brain.
sleep apnea in asthma
As we have well anticipated, there are asthmatics who also suffer from sleep apnea. It is a disorder in which, during the night, the patient stops breathing for a few seconds, without realizing it. Repetition of this apnea decreases blood oxygen levels.
Among individuals with asthma, sleep apnea is twice as common than in the rest of the population. Also, if they are medicated with inhaled corticosteroids for their bronchospasm, that risk increases.
In a vicious circle, poor sleep worsens asthma and is almost inevitable in patients with sleep apnea of the dream, unless they start a specific treatment. These people have serious difficulties for continuous rest due to small awakenings due to lack of oxygen.
In the morning, after having rested badly, the next step is the worsening of asthma, which does not allow them to rest even during the day. Thus they arrive at a new night where they will again sleep little and the cycle repeats itself.
How can an asthmatic sleep better?
There are a few keys to improving rest for asthma patients. Realize that little sleep makes asthma worse, it is recommended that you take the necessary measures to stabilize your sleep the best it can be.
First, it is essential that the medication for the underlying disease is correct. The patient with asthma should be monitored and well medicated to minimize the chances of a crisis.
Tobacco, of course, is contraindicated, as well as exposure to toxic substances in the environment that may be in suspension. A room with items that repel mites is recommended.
In case of sleep apnea, a pulmonologist should be consulted that the person uses devices for night use that insert the missing oxygen. These teams can significantly improve rest conditions.
Poor sleep makes asthma worse, but it can be reversed
The bad news that poor sleep makes asthma worse should become one recommendation for asthmatics to pay attention to their sleep hygiene. There are simple steps you can follow to adjust your hours of rest.
Anyway, these people are always required to consult a doctor to keep asthma under control. Similarly, sleep apnea cannot be resolved in any other way than with the intervention of specialists.
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