To investigate, researchers from the University of Manchester in England looked at data from more than 11,000 participants in a large British health study conducted between 1994 and 2008. Participants filled out questionnaires about their sleep quality — including frequency of snoring or breathing interruptions during sleep — and other lifestyle factors like smoking. The researchers followed up with the participants after 10 years to see who had developed asthma; they found that people who reported poor quality or quantity of sleep were likelier to have asthma. While this doesn’t prove cause-and-effect, it suggests that there could be an association between poor sleep and developing asthma later on.
Researchers found that people with asthma had a worse sleep than those without. Those with severe asthma were more likely to report having difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up feeling unrefreshed than those without the condition. They also reported higher fatigue levels during the day, which can impact activities like driving and working. On average, adults with asthma spent 10 minutes longer trying to fall asleep each night than those in the control group. They said this could significantly decrease their quality of life due to a lack of restful sleep.
The study also found that good sleep habits could help reduce the risk of developing allergies. People with the highest genetic susceptibility to allergies and the best sleep patterns were less likely to develop an allergy than those with low genetic risk and poor sleep quality. These findings indicate that healthy sleeping habits may help protect against asthma and allergies, even among people at high risk for these conditions due to their genetics. The authors concluded that getting enough restful sleep is essential for maintaining overall health, as it can play a role in reducing risks associated with certain diseases or disorders.
“We believe that this new evidence provides a window of opportunity to promote better sleep habits in asthma management,” Mora said. “It may also open possibilities for developing treatments and interventions based on improving sleep, which we are now exploring.”
Health professionals should aim to treat sleep conditions to mitigate the development of asthma, mainly since this could prevent 19% of cases. To do so, medical practitioners must discuss patients’ sleep habits and determine whether their behaviour negatively affects their symptoms. By addressing sleep problems, health professionals can help reduce the risk of developing asthma and improve existing symptoms.
The research also showed that patients with poor sleep duration, poor sleep quality or frequent snoring were more likely to develop asthma. The authors noted that these findings suggest that the development of asthma could be prevented by interventions targeting poorer sleep traits, such as improving sleep hygiene or using treatments for snoring and other sleep-related breathing disorders. Better understanding the relationship between the two conditions can help health professionals identify interventions to reduce the risk of developing asthma in those with compromised sleeping patterns.