Risk of Death While Sleeping Could be Reduced, Explains Pulmonologist

Although research suggests that getting either too much or too little sleep is linked to a higher risk of death, no clear evidence has been presented that proves the amount of sleep is linked to death while sleeping.

Experts say that most people who die in their sleep do so as a result of common health problems and that in some cases, the chances of dying in one's sleep can be reduced.

Lungs, Heart, Brain

Dr. Milind Sovani, a pulmonologist and consultant in respiratory medicine from the U.K.'s Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, explained that the lungs, heart, or brain are the most typical causes of death while sleeping. People with diabetes, for example, can sometimes die in their sleep due to low glucose levels.

More complicated cases can also play a role. Sovani shared that he recently lost a young male patient in his late 30s to Pompe Disease, a glucose storage disorder that causes muscle weakness and breathing problems. His patient, unfortunately, experienced the symptoms while asleep.

Conditions that cause nocturnal deaths can, in most cases, be managed to reduce the risk.

Stay Healthy

Sovani explains that sleeping on one's back, or in the supine position that many people take, can reduce lung volume. He also mentioned that conditions like diaphragm paralysis, which is the muscle that controls breathing, can affect breathing at night.

Epilepsy and other neurological conditions can also be dangerous. Seizures that affect the body's cardiac, respiratory, and electrocerebral functions are thought to be the cause of Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy (SUDEP), which is more common in people with refractory epilepsy.

SUDEP is more likely to happen at night or early in the morning, according to research published in Frontiers in Neurology in 2018. Similarly, uncontrolled high blood pressure can increase the risk of strokes, which can be fatal and occur while sleeping.

Heart failure and sleep apnea, which causes breathing to start and stop during sleep, are two other conditions that are more likely to worsen at night.

According to a study published in 2017, people with obstructive sleep apnea, one type of condition, are more than 2.5 times as likely to die suddenly between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. People over 60 were also found to be at the highest risk of sudden cardiac death in the study.

Although mild forms of the condition may not require treatment, more severe cases can be managed with a CPAP machine, which pumps air into a mask worn over the mouth or nose by the sleeper at night.

Other heart conditions, such as arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), can be dangerous if not treated, according to Sovani. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are commonly used to treat these conditions; the former uses pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate, while the latter monitors heart rhythms and delivers a shock if dangerous ones are detected.

Chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity can all contribute to poor overall health and increase the risk of complications. The risks can be reduced by managing these conditions and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Newsweek reports.