Altitude Insomnia

Posted on April 25, 2008 in Latest News

Altitude insomnia is caused mainly due to periodic breathing in sleep in areas of high altitude. Pilots, plane crew and mountaineers who fly at an altitude of over 4000 usually encounter this problem.

Altitude insomnia is characterized by repeated occurrences of central apnea and hypo apnea and is generally followed by frequent instances of waking between sleep, poor sleep, suffocation and extreme fatigue.

 Since those at high altitudes suffer from lack of continuous oxygen supply, they tend to breathe more rapidly at more frequent intervals that normal. Persistent breathing in turn leads to a shortage of carbon dioxide in the blood, a metabolic waste which is eliminated by the lungs.

Since the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood is the most important signal to the brain that the body needs more oxygen, a shortage of it will cause the involuntary act of breathing to be blunted. When one is fully awake and conscious, it should be possible to make a conscious effort to breathe in more, but this is more difficult when one is a state of sleep, a condition where consciousness is laid to rest.

The duration of such apnea is usually 3-10 seconds much may stretch till 15 seconds. The condition might seem less dangerous as one gets acclimatized to the altitude, but does not get completely resolved till one gets down to a comfortable altitude.

One useful medication is Asetazolamide of which 120m.g could be consumed an hour before retiring to bed. This mitigates or relieves periodic breathing.

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