(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Allergy sufferers often complain of bothersome nasal blockages, but those allergies alone don't account for increased risk of nighttime breathing problems.

A stuffy nose can lead to trouble sleeping, which in turn can lead to daytime drowsiness. Researchers at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu, Japan analyzed survey responses from 1,459 Japanese workers about their allergy and nasal obstruction concerns.

Participants were divided into four groups: those with allergies and nasal obstruction, those with nasal obstruction but no allergies, those with allergies but no nasal obstruction and those with neither nasal obstruction or allergies, who served as controls.

Those in both nasal-obstruction groups, with or without allergies, had higher odds of snoring and daytime sleepiness than the control group. However, there was no difference between the allergies-only and control groups.

"The present results strongly suggest that nasal obstruction causes sleep-disordered breathing and, thus, daytime sleepiness in individuals without allergic rhinitis as well as in those with allergic rhinitis," study authors were quoted as saying.

SOURCE: Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, 2008;134:1254-1257