Insomnia may be a symptom of undiagnosed asthma

This is a photo of a young, white woman lying awake in bed with insomnia.

People wrestling with insomnia could have undiagnosed asthma to blame. That’s according to the study, “Association Between Lung Function and Sleep Disorder Symptoms in a Community-Based Multi-Site Case-Finding Study,” recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

The community-based study uncovered a notable association between undiagnosed asthma and insomnia symptoms. Conducted by a team of researchers from multiple Canadian institutions, the study analyzed data from over 2,000 adults who exhibited respiratory symptoms but had no prior diagnosis of lung disease.

Participants were recruited from 17 metropolitan areas across Canada and underwent spirometry tests and completed the Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (GSAQ). Of the total participants, 9.79% met the criteria for undiagnosed COPD and 9.13% for undiagnosed asthma.

Key findings include:

  • Undiagnosed asthma and insomnia: Individuals with undiagnosed asthma were more likely to report insomnia symptoms compared to those without asthma. The likelihood of experiencing insomnia was significantly higher for this group.
  • Respiratory symptoms and sleep disorders: There was a notable association between the burden of respiratory symptoms and the frequency of sleep disorder symptoms. Participants with higher respiratory symptom scores reported more sleep disturbances
  • Lack of association with COPD: The study did not find a significant link between undiagnosed COPD and sleep disorder symptoms after adjusting for confounders.

Lead author Rosetta Mazzola, MD, emphasized the importance of these findings. Dr. Mazzola is professor in the department of medicine at the University of Ottawa in Ontario.

“Our research highlights the need for increased awareness and screening for sleep disorders in individuals with respiratory symptoms, even if they have not been diagnosed with a specific lung disease,” Dr. Mazzola said.

While there was no significant association between spirometry measures and sleep disorder symptoms, the study noted the presence of undiagnosed asthma was a critical factor in the prevalence of insomnia. This underscores the complex interplay between respiratory health and sleep quality, researchers wrote.

Researchers said they believe further studies are warranted to explore the mechanisms behind these associations and to develop targeted interventions to improve sleep quality in patients with respiratory symptoms.

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