“Better sleep, Better Health, Better Planet” is a conversation we need to have now. This year, the World Sleep Day on the 13th of March has this theme. But I have written about the need for good quality of uninterrupted deep sleep, duration, and its relation to the quality of life for a very long time.
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Even though you feel better after a good night’s rest, sleep is the first casualty in a busy life. You would rather give up on sleep than late-night coffees and the office dinner parties. The problem of sleep debt is real and it never goes away. Healthcare professionals suffer from chronic sleep debt. That’s probably the biggest reason why, conversations about eight hours of sleep, get lost in the wind.
Sometime back, I wrote a blog post about the five mistakes even smart doctors make about their health. Sleep deficit is one of the most common mistakes made by doctors. Worldwide, almost 45 % of people suffer from sleep problems and less than one-third seek help.
The truth is sleep is essential for your health.
It regenerates your brain, boosts your immunity, protects cardiovascular health, and makes life better. It also makes your planet better. When you sleep, you use fewer resources, less power, your body emits a lower amount of heat and carbon dioxide.
What about snoring and sleep?
Most people snore, right? Snoring is standard, right?
Many people snore a little when they have a stuffy nose due to a cold, but it’s unlikely that they snore all the time. Snoring is closely related to metabolic disorders like diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
Stopping snoring is vital for good health.
Some people start snoring after they gain weight, and this results in the deterioration of their sleep quality. The first step to the management of snoring is a detailed history with an ENT surgeon who has experience with sleep problems. Your health history helps your doctor find out the missing links in your snoring health.
Then comes a test called Polysomnography, which helps us grade the snoring. This helps to see whether the snoring fits the criteria of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. This is a condition wherein the snoring causes your brain to go into a state of oxygen deprivation several times a night.
If someone is diagnosed with OSAH, a full check-up is done to find out other coexisting conditions.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea?
OSAH a severe condition where snoring causes your airway to close. This means all your cells and organs (including heart and brain) are deprived of oxygen.
The main problem is, you are often caught unaware. You don’t know whether you are having this problem. Your family and spouse are the best people to let you know. Then it would help if you visited your doctor. Your doctor will listen to your symptoms or clues and may ask you to do some tests.
Apnea: complete breath-holding for ten or more seconds.
Hypopnea: Partial breath-holding.
Symptoms of Sleep apnoea
- Snoring
- Fatigue
- Witness breath holding
- Gasping and choking
- EDS
- Fragmented sleep
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Reduced alertness
- Poor quality of life in general
- Mood changes
- Nocturia
Statistics:
Health Survey in India showed a 22.0% of total population self-reported having Snoring Disorder.
OSAH is highest in the age group 50–59 (21.7%).
Males 14.8%
Sleep Apnea prevalence with other conditions
- Drug-resistant hypertension 80%
- Obesity 77%
- Pacemakers 59%
- Congestive heart failure 50%
- Atrial fibrillation 50 %
- Diabetes 50 % of sleep apnea leads to insulin resistance. Over 50% of type 2 diabetes patients have been shown to have sleep apnea
- Other effects
- Fatigue-related motor vehicle and work accidents
- Decreased quality of life
- Depression
- Impotence
- Hypertension 35%
- Coronary artery disease 30%
When people sleep for eight hours a day, they not only improve their own health, increase their productivity but also help reduce their carbon footprint and make the world greener. There really is no excuse for you not to sleep for your health and the world.
What is the best practice if you find out you have sleep apnoea after testing?
Your doctor will give you holistic sleep management, which will address your immediate sleep quality with a device such as the CPAP machine, sleep aids like pillows
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines, manufactured by healthcare companies such as PHILIPS Respironics, is an effective treatment for sleep apnea. In the treatment, a CPAP machine is given to the patient for use. The CPAP machine is a special kind of device, with a humidifier and mask. This prevents the upper airway from getting obstructed during sleep. It will provide a gentle flow of air through the upper airway, allowing the patient to breathe freely while sleeping. The brain is not deprived of oxygen, and the overall health improves. The initiatives by healthcare companies like PHILIPS Respironics in providing meaningful solutions for sleep disorders is appreciated.
- Reduce weight and other coexistent conditions
- Manage surgically correctable issues if present
- Sleep hygiene best practices to sleep well.
The important thing is the treatment will need immediate help and a long-term solution and your commitment to making it work. So, what are you doing to take care of your sleep? The free tool to help you live life to the fullest!
