Association between nasal obstruction and sleep quality in adults

Abstract

Background: Nasal obstruction is a common otorhinolaryngological complaint and may interfere with normal breathing during sleep. Persistent obstruction can contribute to mouth breathing, snoring, sleep fragmentation, and daytime tiredness. The present study aimed to assess the association between nasal obstruction severity and sleep quality in adults.

Materials and Methods: This hospital-based observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sharda School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Western Uttar Pradesh, from January 2024 to January 2026. A total of 110 adults with nasal obstruction were included.

Results: The mean age of participants was 40.85 ± 11.98 years, and 57.3% were male. The mean NOSE score was 56.91 ± 25.60 and the mean global PSQI score was 5.93 ± 2.71. Poor sleep quality was observed in 62 of 110 participants (56.4%). The prevalence of poor sleep increased progressively from 16.7% in mild nasal obstruction to 34.5% in moderate, 71.4% in severe, and 85.7% in extreme obstruction (p <0.001).

Conclusion: Increasing severity of nasal obstruction was significantly associated with worsening sleep quality in adults. Routine assessment of sleep-related symptoms may be useful in patients presenting with moderate to severe nasal obstruction.