Influence of sleep state on frequency of swallowing, apnea, and arousal in human infants

Abstract

Apnea and arousal are modulated with sleep stage, and swallowing may interfere with respiratory rhythm in infants. We hypothesized that swallowing itself would display interaction with sleep state. Concurrent polysomnography and measurement of swallowing allowed time-matched analysis of 3,092 swallows, 482 apneas, and 771 arousals in 17 infants aged 1–34 wk. The mean rates of swallowing, apnea, and arousal were significantly different, being 23.3 ± 8.5, 9.4 ± 8.8, and 15.5 ± 10.6 h⁻¹, respectively ( P < 0.001 ANOVA). Swallows occurred before 25.2 ± 7.9% and during 74.8 ± 6.3% of apneas and before 39.8 ± 6.0% and during 60.2 ± 6.0% of arousals. The frequencies of apneas and arousals were both strongly influenced by sleep state (active sleep > indeterminate > quiet sleep, P < 0.001), whether or not the events coincided with swallowing, but swallowing rate showed minimal independent interaction with sleep state. Interactions between swallowing and sleep state were predominantly influenced by the coincidence of swallowing with apnea or arousal.