Smart wearables and advanced data analysis are at the forefront of new initiatives aimed at diagnosing and treating sleep apnoea, potentially bringing relief to millions of people affected by this and other sleep disorders.
Undiagnosed sleep disorders can have severe consequences on a person’s health and wellbeing, a reality that Clare Williams knows all too well. In her early 30s, Williams received an unexpected diagnosis: obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Despite being young, petite, and female—characteristics not typically associated with OSA, which is usually diagnosed in overweight, middle-aged men—her disrupted nights were taking a serious toll on her health.
“For a long time, doctors dismissed my symptoms because I didn’t fit the profile,” Williams said. This experience highlights a significant challenge in the field of sleep medicine, one that Dr. Erna Sif Arnardottir, a sleep expert with 20 years of experience, is determined to address.
“The problem is that sleep is quite a new medical field and, compared to others, it’s not always taken very seriously,” Arnardottir explained. “Medical doctors typically get only two to four hours of education on sleep during their training. If they want to learn more, they have to seek further education on their own.”
OSA affects an estimated 175 million Europeans and is linked to numerous negative health consequences, including an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and chronic daytime sleepiness, which can severely impact daily functioning. Arnardottir emphasizes the need for a more consistent approach from doctors in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.
Arnardottir is the principal investigator of SLEEP REVOLUTION, a four-year international research project funded by the EU. With a budget of €15 million and involving 39 partner institutions across Europe and Australia, including the European Sleep Research Society and the European Sleep Apnea Database (ESADA), the project aims to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of OSA.
As a biomedical scientist, Arnardottir is a strong advocate for harnessing new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to address this complex medical issue. “Our aim is to use AI to assess the severity of sleep apnoea and tailor treatment to every patient,” she said.
OSA is classified as moderate when a person experiences more than 15 breathing interruptions per night, and severe when episodes occur every other minute or more. These interruptions, caused by collapsed or blocked throat passages, lead to loud gasps, choking sounds, and snoring as airflow resumes, severely disrupting sleep quality.
Williams described her experience with OSA: “I’d get up in the morning with a sore throat and headache, and I’d be exhausted—some days I’d literally fall asleep on my feet.” This exhaustion is a result of repeatedly waking up, often without remembering, throughout the night.
The current wait times for sleep clinics—up to two years in some hospitals—are unacceptable given the seriousness of sleep apnoea, according to Arnardottir. The SLEEP REVOLUTION team aims to accelerate diagnosis by using technology to bring more advanced sleep tests out of the clinic and into people’s homes. This approach will make testing easier, more cost-effective, and shorten the wait for an assessment.
The team is testing a self-administered sleep monitoring device to be worn by patients at home. This device collects sleep data over three nights, which is then analyzed by medical practitioners. This approach allows for multi-night diagnosis, providing a more accurate picture of a patient’s sleep patterns.
Williams, now 50, has identified the cause of her OSA—a rare inherited genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—and follows a treatment protocol that keeps her in good health. She uses a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine at night, which delivers a steady flow of air through a face mask to prevent interruptions in breathing. However, she acknowledges that many patients dislike the CPAP machine due to its cumbersome nature and potential for discomfort.
The SLEEP REVOLUTION project also includes lifestyle interventions as part of its strategy. Groups of OSA patients are receiving guidance on strengthening muscles, including those of the mouth and throat, and nutritional advice to help reduce the severity of their condition. These interventions are expected to help medical doctors identify and treat OSA more quickly.
“The sad fact is that people who end up getting treated have often had sleep apnoea for years,” Arnardottir noted. “It would be far better to catch people early.”
Research in this article was funded by the EU’s Horizon Programme. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission.
