Come morning, an extra hour of sleep can seem to make the sun rise ("sprinkle it with dew..."). Likewise, squandering an hour awake in the middle of the night is a major bummer. My heart went out to moms-to-be, an oft-sleep-deprived demographic, when I read about a recent study finding that women with gestational diabetes - between four and eight percent of pregnant women in the U.S. - were seven times more likely to experience obstructive sleep apnea than pregnant women without gestational diabetes. Intermittently pausing the breath, typically in intervals of 20 to 40 seconds, obstructive sleep apnea not only interrupts sleep but also can raise the risk for stroke and hypertension if left untreated.
Researchers of the study, which was accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, monitored sleep disruptions, including sleep apnea, in 45 women: 15 who were pregnant and had gestational diabetes, 15 who were pregnant and did not have gestational diabetes, and 15 who were not pregnant and did not have diabetes.
From a release:
"It is common for pregnant women to experience sleep disruptions, but the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea increases substantially in women who have gestational diabetes," said Sirimon Reutrakul, MD, who conducted the research at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "Nearly 75 percent of the participants in our study who had gestational diabetes also suffered from obstructive sleep apnea."
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The study found a strong association between obstructive sleep apnea and gestational diabetes in this group of mostly overweight or obese women. Pregnant women who did not have gestational diabetes were able to get an additional hour of sleep and had less fragmented sleep than women who had gestational diabetes.
Previously: Why untreated sleep apnea may cause more harm to your health than feeling fatigued, How effective are surgical options for sleep apnea?, A reminder that prenatal care is key to a healthy pregnancy and Study: Exercise may not stave off gestational diabetes
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