Does seasonality affect snoring? A study based on international data from the past decade

Abstract

Background Though snoring is often regarded as a harmless condition that coincides with sound sleep, it is a sleep disorder that can be a potential indicator of more severe conditions such as sleep apnea syndrome. In the present study, we investigated the association between seasonal variations and snoring. Method Search index for snoring (SIS) data were obtained from Google Trends and Baidu Index. SIS data were collected for the USA, India, Germany, Russia, Japan, Australia, China, and Brazil from 2011 to 2020, with the periodicity of the relationship between seasonal time series data and snoring evaluated using a time series decomposition model. Result The highest average SIS growth rates from 2011 to 2020 were observed for Brazil, Japan, and Germany, with average SIS values of 94%, 68%, and 49%, respectively. The SIS of the USA, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Germany, and India increased by 22.3%, 12.4%, 11.9%, 35.4%, 12.3%, 28.0%, and 55.8%, respectively, in comparison with their SIS values in 2019, whereas for China, it decreased by 13.7%. Relative to countries in the southern hemisphere, those in the northern hemisphere showed comparable SIS trends, increasing from September to February and decreasing from March to August. Conclusion The SIS data showed cyclical changes over the study period. The search index for snoring increased during the cold season or the heating season, suggesting that snoring is associated with seasonal changes.

Impact of Breastfeeding Duration on Adenoid Hypertrophy, Snoring and Acute Otitis Media: A Case-Control Study in Preschool Children

“…Research by Masna et al emphasized that other factors, such as the thermal season, can also impact adenoid mucus [23]. This observation was also stated by Wang et al, who showed seasonal dependence of snoring problems related to nasal blockage in the general population [36]. A reduction in nasal resistance plays an important role in reducing snoring [37].…”

Asthma prevalence based on the Baidu index and China's Health Statistical Yearbook from 2011 to 2020 in China

“…With the rapid development of Internet technology, long-term and continuous data collection based on the Internet has brought opportunities for disease prediction and early warning, especially for COVID-19 ( 20 , 22 ). According to China's Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), from 2017 to 2019, the average usage rate of search engines in all types of Internet applications was 82.12%, and the brand penetration rate of the Baidu search engine was 90.9%, showing it has become an important window for Chinese citizens to obtain information.…”

“…Because of the rise of the Internet and the advancement of Internet technology, it is now possible to investigate the prevalence of asthma. Previous research on snoring in China, the United States, Russia, and India using the Baidu Index and Google Index revealed that snoring varies with the seasons ( 20 ). We investigated the prevalence of asthma in China using China's Health Statistics Yearbook and searches about “asthma” using the Baidu index.…”