Apnea Disturbs More Than Sleep
Researchers at UAB have found that sleep apnea, a common but serious sleep disorder, is the cause of nocturia, or getting up frequently during the night to urinate. Findings are particularly important for older adults who are at greater risk of falling and being hurt if they must get up during the night.
"Sleep apnea, and the nocturia that accompanies it, is easily treatable with the use of a small bedside device to maintain an open airway while asleep," says Mary Umlauf, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing at UAB. "However, most people with nocturia report it to their gynecologist or urologist, not a sleep clinician. Doctors, until now, have most often attributed it to age or, in men, prostate problems."
Contact Joy Carter, Media Relations 205-934-1676, [email protected].
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