Bad alone, worse together: this sleep disorder combo may be deadly

Sleep troubles are no cakewalk but new research has found that suffering from a combination of two sleep disorders, namely insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, can prove to be deadly.

People who face both disorders have a 70 per cent higher risk of heart problems and are almost 50 per cent more likely to die than those without either condition, says the study published in the European Respiratory Journal.

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Two of the most common sleep disorders, insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea affect 10 to 30 per cent of the population, but people can often suffer from both at the same time.

This study of over 5,000 US residents, who were followed for 15 years, claims to be the first to assess mortality risk in participants with co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnoea.

Researchers suggest that since the health outcomes of the co-morbidity are so severe, people who undergo screening for one disorder should also be screened for the other.

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