What is ‘social apnea’? How weekend habits wreck your sleep

When the party keeps going all night long, your breathing might not.

New research has uncovered a bizarre new sleep disorder dubbed “social apnea” — and your weekend habits may be to blame.

Scientists from Australia’s Flinders University found the mysterious trend hits younger adults hardest, with those under 60 more than three times as likely to be affected as their older, and perhaps better-rested, peers. 

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — the most common sleep-related breathing disorder — occurs when the muscles in the throat and tongue relax during sleep, blocking the airway and causing repeated pauses in breathing.

Roughly 30 million Americans are believed to suffer from OSA, but as many as 80% go undiagnosed, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

And that’s no small issue: untreated OSA can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline, depression and even death. 

Now, researchers warn that the newly identified “social apnea” — marked by a consistent worsening of OSA symptoms on weekends — suggests the problem may be even more widespread than previously thought.

“Sleep apnea is already a major public health issue, but our findings suggest its true impact may be underestimated,” Dr. Lucia Pinilla, lead author of the study, said in a statement. 

“Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single night, typically a weeknight, missing the weekend effect we’re now calling social apnea.”

In the study, which analyzed data from over 70,000 people worldwide, researchers found participants were 18% more likely to have moderate to severe OSA on weekends compared to mid-week.

What’s behind the weekend spike? Researchers suspect it’s a perfect storm of bad habits, including smoking and drinking, that tend to spike when the workweek winds down.

Alcohol acts as a relaxant, making the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and potentially increasing both the frequency and severity of sleep apnea events. Smoking, on the other hand, causes inflammation and swelling in the airways, narrowing them and making obstruction more likely.

“This is consistent with our finding that the social apnea effect is particularly intensified in men and younger individuals,” the authors wrote, noting these groups report higher alcohol and tobacco use on weekends.

The numbers bear that out: men were 21% more likely to suffer severe OSA on weekends, while women saw a smaller 9% increase. Adults under 60 faced a striking 24% jump in weekend OSA severity, compared to just 7% among those over 60.

Sleep timing also appears to play a major role.

Sleeping in or staying up late — what researchers call “social jetlag” — was associated with a 55% increase in the odds of experiencing worse OSA on weekends. In contrast, those who kept a consistent sleep schedule throughout the week showed no significant changes.

Even sleeping just 45 minutes longer than usual on weekends was enough to increase OSA severity by 47%, the researchers found.

They suggest this happens because OSA tends to worsen during REM sleep, and longer, later sleep stretches the amount of time spent in that stage, increasing the risk of disrupted breathing.

Inconsistent use of CPAP machines, the primary treatment for OSA, could also be playing a role.

CPAP therapy is highly effective when used regularly, improving sleep quality, mood, heart health and even metabolism. But it only works if patients wear the device for at least four hours a night on 70% of nights each month.

Many patients fall short of that — especially on weekends. Prior studies show that younger adults, in particular, are more likely to skip CPAP use on Friday and Saturday nights, weakening the treatment’s overall effectiveness.

These findings mark the first clear evidence that OSA severity worsens on weekends, according to senior study author Danny Eckert, director of FHMRI Sleep Health. He said the results underscore the need for more comprehensive sleep assessments and personalized diagnostic tools.

“Relying on a single-night sleep study may miss important variations, leading to underdiagnosis or misclassification of OSA severity,” Eckert said. 

To counter the weekend effect, researchers suggest keeping a consistent sleep routine — even when you’re off the clock.

“Try to keep the same sleep schedule throughout the week and weekend, ensuring that you get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night,” Eckert advised. 

“Keeping a fixed wake-up time and using your prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends, and going to bed when you feel sleepy will help ensure you frequently get enough restorative sleep which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA,” he added.