Sleep quality and risk of recurrent aphthous ulcers: A Spanish cohort study

Abstract

Objective: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a condition that affects 20% of the world population and is characterized by painful ulcers in the oral mucosa. So far, the epidemiology and risk factors of RAS have been infrequently studied. Our objective was to determine whether sleep-related factors are related to the occurrence of RAS in the first prospective study carried out on this topic. Methods: A cohort of 11210 Spanish students, 13–17 years old, was followed up for one year. Sleep disorders were assessed at baseline using a standard validated questionnaire. Results: We detected 2655 new cases of RAS with a total of 287,262 person-week of follow-up. Subjects with high (4th quartile) Insomnia Index showed an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of RAS of 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–1.45), while subjects with high Hypersomnia Index presented an IRR of 1.42 (95% CI 1.26–1.61). A high score of sleep-related phenomena was also associated with an increased IRR: 1.53 (95% CI 1.37–1.69). Adolescents with high level of sleep satisfaction were at lower risk of RAS: 0.88 (95% CI 0.77–1.01). Conclusion: These findings suggest that sleep disorders are moderately associated with RAS in adolescents.