Impact of lifestyle modifications on snoring and mild sleep apnoea patients

ObjectiveBehavioural modification through increasing nutritional awareness, along with customised dietary changes and education about physical inactivity, for obese snorers and mildly sleep apnoeic patients would help improve their quality of life.MethodsA one-year prospective interventional study enrolled snorers and/or mild obstructive sleep apnoea sufferers, with 36 patients each in the test group and control group. Nutritional information and tailor-made diet charts were given to the 36 test subjects. The severity of snoring and daytime sleepiness after 6 and 12 months was compared using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Thornton Snoring Scale as measures of quality of life.ResultsSubjective scores on both scales showed highly significant improvement (p ≤ 0.001) in the test group. No significant improvement was seen in the control group.ConclusionAwareness of basic nutrition and customised diet plans help to achieve behavioural modification in the long term, resulting in a better quality of life.