Sleep apneas and high altitude newcomers.

Sleep and respiration data from two French medical high altitude expeditions (Annapurna 4,800 m and Mt Sajama 6,542 m) are presented. Difficulties in maintaining sleep and a SWS decrease were found with periodic breathing (PB) during both non-REM and REM sleep. Extent of PB varied considerably among subjects and was not correlated to the number of arousals but to the intercurrent wakefulness duration. There was a positive correlation between the time spent in PB and the individual hypoxic ventilatory drive. The relation between PB, nocturnal desaturation, and mountain sickness intensity are discussed. Acclimatization decreased the latency toward PB and improved sleep. Hypnotic benzodiazepine intake (loprazolam 1 mg) did not worsen either SWS depression or apneas and allowed normal sleep reappearance after acclimatization.