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. 2018 Mar-Apr;9(2):147-156.
doi: 10.29252/NIRP.BCN.9.2.147.

Sleep Architecture in Patients With Primary Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Kaveh Shahveisi  1 , Amir Jalali  2   3 , Mohammad Raman Moloudi  4 , Shahla Moradi  1 , Azad Maroufi  4 , Habibolah Khazaie  1
Affiliations

Sleep Architecture in Patients With Primary Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Kaveh Shahveisi et al. Basic Clin Neurosci. 2018 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate sleep architecture in patients with primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed polysomnographic data of 391 clients who referred to Sleep Disorders Research Center (SDRS). These people were classified into three groups based on their Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) and snoring; control, Primary Snoring (PS), and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) group. Sleep architecture variables were then assessed in all groups.

Results: The results of this study indicated a decrease in deep sleep or Slow Waves Sleep (SWS) and increase in light sleep or stage 1 of non-REM sleep (N1) in OSA patients compared with the control and PS groups. After controlling the effects of confounding factors, i.e. age and Body Mass Index (BMI) (which was performed through multiple regression analysis) significant differences were observed among the three groups with regard to N1. However, with regard to SWS, after controlling confounding variables (age and BMI), no significant difference was found among the groups.

Conclusion: The results indicated that OSA, regardless of age and BMI, may increase light (N1) sleep possibly via a decline in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 ). Such increase in N1 may be responsible for brain arousal. In addition, by controlling confounding factors (age and BMI), OSA did not affect SWS in OSA patients. However, further research is necessary to determine sleep architecture in more detail in the patients with OSA.

Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea; Polysomnography; Primary snoring; Sleep architecture.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The effect of PS and OSA on sleep architecture (sleep stages) N1 stage showed a significant increase induced by OSA (A) and SWS showed a significant decline induced by OSA (C). N2 (B) and REM (D) stages did not show any difference among the groups. The data of N1 was normally distributed and analyzed using One-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s test; but, the data of N2, SWS, and, REM stages were non-normally distributed and analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparisons test. TST: Total Sleep Time; N1, stage 1 of non-REM sleep; N2, stage 2 of non-REM sleep; SWS: Slow-Wave Sleep; REM: Rapid Eye Movement.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Correlation between BMI and sleep architecture (sleep stages) N1 showed a positive correlation with BMI (A) and SWS showed a negative correlation with BMI (C). N2 (B) and REM (D) did not have any significant correlation with BMI. BMI: Body Mass Index; TST: Total Sleep Time; N1, stage 1 of non-REM sleep; N2, stage 2 of non-REM sleep; SWS: Slow-Wave Sleep; REM: Rapid Eye Movement
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The effects of OSA on sleep architecture ↑: Increase; ↓: Decrease; -: No effect; OSA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; N1: Stage 1 of Non-REM sleep; N2: Stage 2 of Non-REM sleep; SWS: Slow-Wave Sleep; REM: Rapid Eye Movement; Minimal SpO2: Minimal oxygen saturation
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