<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Everyday Australians living with a newly-identified sleep health concern could have no idea they're suffering from it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/weekend-habits-linked-to-new-sleep-disorder-trend-social-apnea/multimedia/Social-Apnea-Obstructive-Sleep-Apnea-is-Exacerbated-on-Weekends.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Research"><span>Research</span></a><span> from Flinders University has revealed that the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a common condition caused by repeated airway collapse during sleep, increases significantly on weekends.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This phenomenon may be linked to late nights, sleeping in, alcohol and smoking on weekends, leading FHMRI Sleep Health experts to dub it 'social apnea'.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-found-dead-in-river-in-doomadgee-queensland/a043a875-1bfd-48f2-834d-ef1f4853c133" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mystery after man found dead in river in outback Queensland</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sleeping for an extra 45 minutes or more on weekends can almost double the risk of worse OSA, and adults under 60 had a 24 per cent higher risk of OSA on weekends.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Men were also more likely to be affected.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts warned this 'social apnea' could increase the risk of serious health conditions like heart disease, depression, dementia and extreme fatigue.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/health/social-sleep-apnea-linked-weekend-late-nights-alcohol-smoking/ab3c869f-71ef-4a6d-8938-3a99f0948fa5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It could also contribute to motor vehicle and other accidents.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/taylor-swift-life-of-a-showgirl-album-release-date/17acc7ff-137f-47bc-ad61-02c57f262d73" target="_blank"><strong><span>Taylor Swift reveals the image millions of people have been waiting for ahead of new album release</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/02/14/16/27/new-right2drive-data-reveals-the-leading-causes-of-road-crashes-in-australia"><img alt="The Leading Causes of Road Crashes in Australia" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Qtpmhn_Z7t-MvN9ErnUEKAOroog=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F1c8ba36b-3998-4a1a-8128-069962acc154" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Qtpmhn_Z7t-MvN9ErnUEKAOroog=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F1c8ba36b-3998-4a1a-8128-069962acc154 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/8wJF9Bu7HCNYRORot_H5cgQgAlM=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F1c8ba36b-3998-4a1a-8128-069962acc154 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">New data reveals the leading causes of road crashes in Australia</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/02/14/16/27/new-right2drive-data-reveals-the-leading-causes-of-road-crashes-in-australia">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But diagnosing social apnea through current sleep study methods may prove difficult.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single night, typically a weeknight, missing the weekend effect we're now calling social apnea," lead author and Research Fellow Dr Lucia Pinilla said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Flinders professor and director of FHMRI Sleep Health Danny Eckert said this highlights the need for multi-night sleep assessments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Relying on a single-night sleep study may miss important variations, leading to underdiagnosis or misclassification of OSA severity," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-quad-meeting-in-brisbane-premier-david-crisafulli-anthony-albanese-support-bid/6f9529e2-9f53-4a4e-b718-0ca8af932a46" target="_blank"><strong><span>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backs bid to host Donald Trump at Quad summit in Brisbane next year</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australians can reduce their risk of 'social apnea' by maintaining a regular sleep routine even (or perhaps especially) on weekends.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That means going to be when you feel sleepy, getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, and waking up at about the same time each day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>OSA already affectes about one billion people globally and, if left untreated, can lead to death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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