Getting enough sleep may help prevent asthma, according to a research.
A study published in the BMJ Open Respiratory Research journal reveals healthy sleep patterns are linked to a lower risk of asthma.
Early detection and management of sleep disorders could lessen the risk of asthma regardless of genetic predisposition, researchers said.
Based on the data from the UK Biobank study, the research followed 455,405 people between the ages of 38 and 73.
Participants were asked about their sleep patterns, including whether they were a morning person or a night owl, how long they slept for, whether they snored, had insomnia, and whether they suffered excessive sleepiness during the daytime.
They were then classified based on their responses into three categories: those with a healthy sleep pattern, an intermediate sleep pattern, and a poor sleep pattern.
The genetic asthma risk score was also calculated for each participant based on the number of genetic variants associated with asthma in their genome.
During a monitoring period of almost 9 years, 17,836 people were diagnosed with asthma.
The researchers found that those with the highest genetic risk were 47 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, while those with a poor sleep pattern were 55 per cent more likely.
People with high genetic risk who also reported poor sleep patterns were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with asthma compared to those with a healthy sleep pattern and a low genetic risk.
The study found that all five sleep traits, including insomnia and sleep duration of 7-9 hours a night, were independently associated with lower risk for asthma.
A healthy sleep pattern might reduce the risk of asthma in those at high genetic risk by 37 per cent, indicating that a healthy sleep pattern might help offset asthma risk, regardless of genetic susceptibility.
The researchers suggested that poor sleep patterns may cause an inflammatory response in the body that increases the risk of asthma. However, the study is observational and cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
The findings of this study provide insights into the potential benefits of healthy sleep patterns on respiratory health.
More research is needed to further understand the relationship between sleep and asthma and to explore the potential interventions that could help improve sleep quality in those at risk of respiratory conditions.
According to Dr Erika Kennington, head of Research and Innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, the study suggests a connection between insufficient sleep and asthma, but it is premature to conclude that treating poor sleep could lower asthma risk.
“We still don’t know enough about why only some people develop asthma, and other lung conditions, while others don’t," Dr Kennington said.
“To understand why lung conditions develop in the first place we need to see more investment into respiratory research.
“Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK, yet only 2% of public funding is spent on research that will help diagnose, treat and manage them much more effectively".
Dr Kennington expressed the desire for increased funding for research and innovation that has the potential to transform and save the lives of millions in the UK and globally.
