Sleep in women : normal values for sleep stages and position and the effect of age, obesity, sleep apnea, smoking, alcohol and hypertension

• Objectives: To define normal values for total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep stages and sleeping positions in women and to investigate how sleep is affected by age, obesity, sleep apnea, smoking, alcohol dependency and hypertension.Methods: In a population-based study, 400 Swedish women aged 20-70 years were investigated using overnight in-home polysomnography.Results: The mean normal total sleep time was 392 minutes, sleep latency 22 minutes and sleep efficiency 82%. Women spent 31 minutes in sleep stage 1, 244 minutes in stage 2, 41 minutes in stage 3-4 and 76 minutes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. They spent 41% of their sleep time in the supine position, 50% in the lateral position and 9% in the prone position. Multivariate analyses revealed that sleep efficiency was lower in older women and in women with hypertension. Sleep latency was short in women with severe sleep apnea and long in smokers, alcohol-dependent and hypertensive women. Total sleep time was long in severe sleep apnea. Sleep stage 3-4 was inversely related to age and body-mass index. Less REM sleep occurred in alcohol-dependent women. Women younger than 45 years old slept a mean of 42% in the lateral position while women of 45 years and older slept 57% in the lateral position (p<0.001).Conclusions: In this population-based study of women, we present normal values for sleep stages and sleeping position. We conclude that age, body-mass index, obstructive sleep apnea, smoking, alcohol and hypertension reduce sleep quality. With age, women spend more time sleeping in the lateral position.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kardiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Lungmedicin och allergi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Respiratory Medicine and Allergy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

sleep stages

sleeping position

normalvalues

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Cardiovascular medicine

Kardiovaskulär medicin

Lung diseases

Lungsjukdomar

lungmedicin

Lung Medicine

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