Sleep and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

About COPD

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of diseases which cause breathing difficulty
• COPD is the fourth largest killer in the United States; it is estimated that 120,000 people will die this year from COPD
• Twelve million people in the US are diagnosed with COPD; about the same number are likely to have but have not been diagnosed

The most common forms of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD sufferers find it more and more difficult to breathe over time. A history of smoking is the most common cause of COPD. However as many as 1 out of 6 people with COPD have never smoked. Treatment includes:

• Drugs (similar to those used by asthma sufferers)
• Exercise and rehabilitation
• Stopping smoking
• Oxygen therapy (carrying bottles of oxygen)
• Surgery to help lung function

About Sleep and COPD

• The changes that normally occur to our breathing during sleep can be profoundly exaggerated in sufferers of COPD
• COPD sufferers can have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
• The sleep of COPD sufferers is disturbed because of the reduced oxygen supply from inadequate breathing

In COPD patients who also have obstructive sleep apnea, the combination of the two conditions can cause even greater sleep problems. It is important to treat OSA in people with COPD, usually via continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

The treatments for COPD (inhaled steroids, inhaled bronchodilator, theophylline, etc.) can also have a negative effect on sleep quality. Scientists have studied how different types of treatments can improve the sleep problems associated with different types and stages of COPD. It is important to speak to your doctor about receiving specialist care.