The effects of partial and complete mechanical occlusion of the nasal passages on sleep structure and breathing in sleep.

The influence of partial and complete mechanical obstruction of the nasal passages was investigated in 10 normal young adults (5 males and 5 females) without any ENT abnormalities. Nasal obstruction caused a significant increase in the number of apneas during sleep, in the number of microarousals associated with non-apneic breathing disorders in sleep, and in the amount of wake-time within sleep.