The ability to remember locations and directions may be affected as deep sleep is interrupted by apnea, a new study reported.
In the study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers found that people with sleep apnea had worse recall on spatial memory tests if they slept without using their breathing aids compared to those who used their breathing aids in the evening.
“There is some evidence in animal models that dreaming during sleep is important for spatial memory, but no one has shown or proven this in humans,” said Dr. Andrew Varga, who led the study from NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
Spatial memory, for example, helps people remember how to get to their children’s schools or where they left their keys.
Varga believes that people may have difficulty forming new spatial memories if they experience interruptions in both deep and non-deep sleep.
People who suffer from sleep apnea, who number 18 million Americans according to the National Sleep Foundation, suffer from numerous pauses in breathing that may last from seconds to minutes.
As a result, people with apnea often wake up tired
