American Thoracic Society
PATIENT EDUCATION | INFORMATION SERIES
NORMAL AIRWAY
Sleep Problems in Asthma and COPD
Good quality sleep is important for everyone. NORMAL AIRWAY
People with asthma and/or Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) may
have sleep issues that can lead to nighttime OBSTRUCTED AIRWAY
awakenings and daytime sleepiness. This
may worsen their symptoms of asthma or
COPD. There are a number of steps people OBSTRUCTED AIRWAY
with asthma and/or COPD can take to
improve their sleep.
What kind of night disturbances can acid reflux and/or use high doses of inhaled
I get with asthma and/or COPD? corticosteroids.
Waking up at night, also called nighttime How do sleep problems affect my asthma and/
arousals or nighttime awakenings, can happen or COPD?
CLIP AND COPY
if you have asthma or COPD. These arousals People with asthma and/or COPD who have a
interrupt your sleep and may result in feeling frequent problem waking up at night often have
groggy in the morning and/or tired during the worse respiratory disease. They are also at risk
day. Symptoms of COPD and asthma that may for complications from their asthma or COPD.
cause you to wake up at night include coughing, Sleep apnea can worsen asthma symptoms
wheezing, breathlessness, nasal congestion and throughout the day, increase your need for
heartburn. People with COPD and/or asthma rescue inhalers, and worsen your quality of life.
may also be at increased risk for obstructive If you have COPD, the pauses in your breathing
sleep apnea (OSA) and may awaken from and low oxygen levels with sleep apnea can
symptoms of this sleep problem. make your COPD worse, increase your risk for
What is sleep apnea and why can I get sleep exacerbations, and reduce your survival. Sleep
apnea with asthma and/or COPD? apnea can be a serious condition by itself.
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you People who have moderate to severe sleep
to snore and have periods when you stop apnea that is not treated are at higher risk for
breathing during sleep. These pauses in hypertension, heart disease, and stroke (See
breathing usually last 10 seconds or longer. ATS fact sheet on OSA and Heart Disease).
(See ATS fact sheet on OSA in Adults.) It is What can I do to help myself sleep better?
not clear why sleep apnea may occur more The first step is to make sure that your
often in people with asthma and/or COPD, asthma and/or COPD is under good control.
but you are more at risk if you have severe Talk to your healthcare provider to review
asthma, are overweight, have nasal congestion, your disease control, see that you are getting
Online Version Updated August 2018
Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 188, P5-P6, 2013
ATS Patient Education Series © 2013 American Thoracic Society
www.thoracic.org
American Thoracic Society
PATIENT EDUCATION | INFORMATION SERIES
the right medical treatment, and make a
plan of things you can do to control your
R Action Steps
asthma/COPD. Your healthcare provider will If you have asthma and/or COPD, you may be at
instruct you when to use your rescue inhaler increased risk for sleep problems. Talk to your
(such as albuterol or levalbuterol) and how healthcare provider if you:
to use breathing techniques like pursed lip ✔✔Have more frequent asthma/ COPD
breathing should you experience any sudden symptoms and are not sleeping well.
breathlessness. Also, talk to your healthcare ✔✔Have conditions that can make sleeping
provider if you have problems with regular and disease control worse such as being
nasal congestion or heartburn, to get them overweight, nasal congestion, or regular
under better control. If you smoke, quitting heartburn.
smoking will not only help your asthma or ✔✔Are sleepy during the day, even after you
COPD control, but also improve the quality of have slept all night.
your sleep. ✔✔Snore, make choking noises, or have
Tell your health care provider if you think breathing pauses during sleep, as you may
you may have sleep apnea so that you can have obstructive sleep apnea.
be evaluated. Sleep apnea is a treatable ✔✔Wake up in the morning with headaches.
condition! ✔✔If you smoke, quit.
Authors: Jay Balachandran, MD and Mihaela Teodorescu, MD ✔✔Follow good sleep practices.
Reviewers: Suzanne C. Lareau RN, MS and Chris Garvey FNP, ✔✔Work with your healthcare team to keep your
MSN, MPA, Marianna Sockrider MD, DrPH
lung disease in good control.
Healthcare Provider’s Contact Number:
Resources:
American Thoracic Society (ATS)
• http://www.thoracic.org/patients/
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults
• Obstrucive Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease
• CPAP Therapy
• Healthy Sleep in Adults
Sleep Foundation
• http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/
sleep-related-problems/chronic-obstructive-
pulmonary-disease-and-sleep
• https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-
problems/asthma-and-sleep
This information is a public service of the American Thoracic Society.
The content is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a
substitute for the medical advice of one’s healthcare provider.
www.thoracic.org
