Posted on November 10, 2009 by valeri

Did you know that snoring could be a sign that you suffer from sleep apnoea? sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing several times an hour during sleep.

A new study at the Australian National University – the first of its kind in Australia, will examine the relationship between sleep apnoea and psychological health and wellbeing. It is being conducted by Rizal Abu Bakar, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at ANU and a Sleep Technologist at Canberra Sleep Laboratory. ANU

“The condition affects around four per cent of adult males and two per cent of adult females, and more than 90 per cent of people who have it are unaware of their condition. The condition can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, heart attacks or strokes, as well as psychological conditions. At present, the gold standard treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).”

Mr Abu Bakar is using National Psychology Week (8-14 November) to call for volunteers to take part in the research project. Participants do not need to have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.

“As the first study of its kind, the findings will be vital in understanding how to manage sleep apnoea in Australia. I’d be happy to hear from anyone who is interested in participating, whether they have been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, think that they might have sleep apnoea or just snore,” he said.

Members of the public should register their interest email: rizal.abubakar@anu.edu.au