Every extra hour per day spent sitting while watching television increased the odds of sleep problems and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk by about 12%-15%, even after accounting for body mass index and physical activity, researchers reported in the March issue of Chest.
“Overall, this investigation represents a first step in understanding the relationship between sitting and sleep,” said Matthew Burman, Ph.D., at the Arizona State University in Phoenix and his associates. “To our knowledge, no studies in adults have explored the relationship between sitting, sleep disturbance, and obstructive sleep apnea. Sitting time and television viewing appear to be novel and important risk factors for sleep quality and OSA risk.”
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The cross-sectional study analyzed data on 1,000 adults aged 23-60 years who had responded to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep in America poll. The researchers examined associations between daily time sitting, time sitting while watching television, and quality and amount of sleep, daytime sleepiness, and OSA. To avoid overreporting television viewing, they looked at time spent sitting during activities such as using a computer, reading, socializing, and traveling.
After controlling for factors such as body mass index and physical activity, every extra hour per day of sitting was tied to a 6% rise in the odds of poor sleep quality (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.11), But overall sitting time was not linked with sleep duration, OSA risk category, or daytime sleepiness, said the researchers.
However, when they look specifically at time spent sitting watching television, they found that every extra hour a day significantly increased the odds of taking at least 30 minutes to fall asleep (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04-1.27), waking up too early in the morning (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03-1.23), sleeping poorly (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.24), and being at high risk for OSA (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04-1.28) based on the STOP (snoring, tiredness during the daytime, observed apnea, and reported high blood pressure) measure.
Notably, regular physical activity helped mitigate the risk of OSA associated with watching television (P = .04). “The relationship between television viewing and OSA risk was not as strong among physically active individuals as it was among physically inactive individuals,” said the investigators.
The study did not look at the timing of sitting relative to bedtime, the researchers said. “Sitting time increases throughout the day, and it is possible that excess sitting close to bedtime may have more harmful effects on sleep. Future studies should examine the association of timing of sitting with sleep. Being physically active rather than sitting near bedtime might be associated with reduction in some risks,” they added.
The National Sleep Foundation and the National Institutes of Health funded the study. The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest.