Abstract
Our study is the first to objectively assess sleep and sleep-related respiration in orchestra musicians. We hypothesized low sleep quality due to high work demands and irregular work-sleep schedules, and a better respiration for wind instrument (WI) players than string instrument (SI) players due to habitual upper airway muscles training. We recorded overnight polysomnography with 29 professional orchestra musicians (21 men, 14 WI/ 15 SI). The musicians presented a sleep efficiency of 88% (IQR 82–92%) with WI having a significant higher sleep efficiency than SI (89%, 85–93% vs. 85%, 74–89%; p = 0.029). The group had a total sleep time around 6 hours (377min, 340-421min) with signs of increased NREM 1 (light sleep) and decreased REM (dream sleep). The musicians displayed an apnea-hypopnea-index of 2.1events/hour (0.7–5.5) and an oxygen saturation of 98% (97–100%). While SI player exhibited declining sleep-related respiration with age (breathing events: r = 0.774, p = 0.001, oxygen: r = -0.647, p = 0.009), WI player showed improved respiration with age (breathing events: r = -0.548, p = 0.043; oxygen: r = 0.610, p = 0.020). Our study is the first objective investigation of sleep pattern and respiration during sleep with overnight polysomnography in professional orchestra musicians. While sleep and respiration were unexpectedly good, our results revealed possible signs of sleep deprivation and an interesting age-related pattern on respiration depending on instrument. While sample size was small and results modest, these findings present first objective evidence towards the assumption that habitual playing of a WI–and training of the upper airway muscles–may have a protective effect on respiration.
Highlights
While sleep has a restorative function, [1] sleep deprivation can lead to daytime sleepiness, mood changes, cognitive deficits, impaired work ability, accidents, immune deficiency, and cardiovascular risk [2,3,4,5]
These findings provide first objective evidence to the assumption that habitual playing of a wind instrument (WI) may have a protective effect on respiration
Our results revealed subtle but interesting changes in sleep parameter and sleep-related respiration in orchestra musicians, mediated by instrument and age
Summary
While sleep has a restorative function, [1] sleep deprivation can lead to daytime sleepiness, mood changes, cognitive deficits, impaired work ability, accidents, immune deficiency, and cardiovascular risk [2,3,4,5]. Professions with irregular schedules and high stress (e.g., shift workers, professional athletes) may experience reduced sleep duration and quality, resulting in an impaired working ability [9,10]. Orchestra musicians undergo similar extraordinary demands with extended working hours and performances in the late evening. A Norwegian survey revealed that professional musicians were dissatisfied with their sleep and suffered from increased insomnia [13]. Objective sleep patterns of professional musicians have not yet been investigated
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