Study Highlights Differences Between Adults Reporting Sleeping Issues to HCPs
Sleep Health Journal Article Highlights Differences Between Adults
Reporting Sleeping Issues to Healthcare Providers
Washington, D.C. (October 11, 2023): New research published in the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) Sleep Health journal shows differences in sex, race, education, and other factors between adults at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have and have not reported trouble sleeping to a healthcare provider.
Patient-level factors associated with the self-report of trouble sleeping to healthcare providers in adults at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (Orbell, Scott, Baniak, Chasens, Godzik, Jeon, Morris, and Luyster) analyzed data from over 2,000 individuals who were categorized as high risk for OSA.
Findings showed half of the sample never reported trouble sleeping to a healthcare provider. Those more likely to report sleeping issues were females, former smokers, had prediabetes or diabetes, and experienced OSA-related symptoms including snorting, gasping and/or breathing cessation during sleep as well as daytime sleepiness.
“Our work highlights particular groups of at-risk individuals, including men, Mexican American or non-Hispanic Asian people, and those with lower educational attainment, who may be less likely to have crucial conversations about sleep with their healthcare providers. What is also concerning is that people at risk for OSA who snore may not recognize this symptom as a reportable problem,” explained Staci Orbell, PhD, MSN, RN, the lead author on this work conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.
“Along the journey to improve our sleep health, self-care, and wellness, many people will seek the help of a healthcare provider. In those cases, two-way communication is critical,” said NSF Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs, Joseph Dzierzewski, PhD. “NSF encourages the public to discuss any and all sleep issues they may be experiencing, and it’s important for healthcare providers to ask about sleep health and sleep problems, understanding there can be differences between patient groups about what they disclose.”
NSF is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. For more information about sleep health including information on sleep disorders, visit theNSF.org/sleep-health-topics.
About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice. theNSF.org
About Sleep Health®: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation
The landmark, award-winning, peer-reviewed journal Sleep Health publishes the latest studies on the cross-section of sleep’s role in population health and the social sciences from global, multidisciplinary perspectives. SleepHealthJournal.org