Snoring men with daytime sleepiness drive more than others: A population-based study

Abstract 

Objective

To investigate whether subjects with daytime sleepiness who snore or report witnessed sleep apneas drive more than others.

Methods

Questions on snoring, witnessed sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness and driving distance per year were included in the Northern Sweden component of the WHO, MONICA study. Invited were 10756 subjects aged 25–79 years, randomly selected from the population register.

Results

There were 7905 (73%) subjects, 3858 men and 4047 women who responded to the questionnaire and attended a visit for a physical examination. Habitually snoring men with daytime sleepiness drove a mean of 22566 (95% CI 18550–26582)km a year, which was significantly more than non-snoring men without excessive daytime sleepiness who drove 17751 (95% CI 17076–18427)km a year, p=0.02, after adjustments for age, body mass index, smoking and physical activity. Men reporting witnessed sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness also drove more than their counterparts in adjusted analysis, p=0.01. Women reporting daytime sleepiness and witnessed apnea tended to drive more, while snoring women with daytime sleepiness did not.

Conclusions

Men suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness who snore habitually or report witnessed sleep apneas drive significantly more than others.

Keywords: Sleep apnea syndromes, Snoring, Sleepiness, Driving, Population, Driving distance