Effects of nasal occlusion on respiration in sleep. Evidence of inheritability of sleep apnea proneness.

An influence of complete mechanical obstruction of the nasal passages was investigated in 6 apneic-free sons of fullblown sleep apnea patients and in 4 age-matched normal young adults without a familial history of sleep apnea. Nasal obstruction caused a significant increase in the number of sleep apneas in the sons of the sleep apnea patients as compared with controls. The results support the suggestion that sleep apnea syndrome may be caused by an exacerbation of an inherited respiratory instability in sleep resulting from increased airway resistance.