World Sleep Day is Here

Sleep. It’s important. For everything, starting with every human function you can possibly comprehend.

World Sleep Day was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research.

The goal of the first World Sleep Day was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and distribute sleep information around the world.
Time and time again, sleep medicine professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority. That coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep.

Here are the facts.

• Research shows that we spend up to one-third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is a basic human need, much like eating and drinking, and is crucial to our overall health and well-being.
• Sleep, like exercise and nutrition, is essential for metabolic regulation in children and adults alike. There is evidence for a link between sleep duration and obesity. The findings are more apparent in girls. Sleep duration is the effect of day-to-day variability of sleep-wake timing on weight regulation. ^19,20
• Breathing regularly during sleep is critical to maintaining well-being and health. Persistent interruption of the breathing function during sleep is called sleep apnea. This is a pervasive and common disorder that affects 4% of men and 2% of women.²²
• Sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness and fatigue, and may lead to conditions such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke ²⁷, and diabetes.
• Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep is known to have a significant negative impact on our health in the long and short term. Next day effects of poor quality sleep include a negative impact on our attention span, memory recall and learning.⁵ Longer term effects are being studied, but poor quality sleep or sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, weakened immune systems and even some cancers.^6,7,8
• Lack of sleep is related to many psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychosis.^9,10
• Quality sleep is crucial to ensure good health and quality of life.

Importance of Sound, Restorative Sleep:

• Good quality and restorative sleep is essential for day-to-day functioning. Studies suggest that sleep quality rather than quantity has a greater impact on quality of life and daytime functioning.¹²
• Healthy sleep in children will improve the child’s overall wellness and development. WORLD SLEEP SOCIETY has created the 10 commandments of Healthy Sleep for Children.
• Poor quality sleep has a greater negative impact on health, well-being and satisfaction with life than the quantity of sleep a person gets.^9,13
• Quality sleep is responsible for alertness, improved functioning the following day and better quality of life.

Consequences of Sleep Disorders

• Sleep disorders cause significant individual and societal burden and form a serious public health problem.
• Obstructive sleep apnea significantly impacts health and well-being. The drop in oxygen that occurs when breathing stops due to OSA puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a number of serious health conditions.
• Directly or indirectly, disrupted sleep can have a negative effect on family life and relationships by affecting a person’s mood and the way in which they are able to perform daily activities and interact socially.¹³

Extent of the Epidemic

• 35% of people do not feel they get enough sleep, impacting both their physical and mental health.²¹
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects approximately 4% of the adult population. ²¹ If not properly managed, OSA can have a significant impact on a person’s health and well-being.
• Restless Legs Syndrome is a common disorder and occurs in between 3-10% of the population, although the number of people affected and the severity of the condition differs between countries.
• People who have OSA stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. OSA is caused by a blockage of the upper airway. The collapse of the airway may be due to factors such as a large tongue, extra tissue or decreased muscle tone holding the airway open.
• It can also be caused by a poor diet.
• Each breathing pause can last from 10 seconds to more than a minute and is accompanied by a drop in oxygen associated with each event. The events may occur 5 to 50 times or more each hour. This puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a number of serious health conditions (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, NIH, 2009).

Known Consequences: Some Statistics

• A US study has estimated the annual costs of insomnia to be between $92.5 billion and $107.5 billion.¹⁷
• 71,000 people suffer injuries every year due to sleep-related accidents.¹⁶
• 1,550 people die because of sleep-related accidents.¹⁶
• 46% of individuals with frequent sleep disturbances report missing work or events, or making errors at work, compared to 15% of healthy sleepers.¹⁸

Insomnia

• Insomnia affects between 30-45% of the adult population.³
• Primary insomnia (insomnia with no underlying condition) affects 1-10% of the general population, increasing up to 25% in the elderly.³
• Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep also leaves us more vulnerable to accidents. People who suffer insomnia are seven times more likely to become involved in an accident causing death or serious injury than good sleepers.¹¹
• Studies have shown that people with insomnia suffer from more symptoms of anxiety and depression than people without insomnia.⁹
• Insomnia has a negative impact in all areas of a sufferer’s life.
• Insomnia can affect work performance, with a change in character and a drop in the quality of work. If the disorder remains untreated, this may even lead to reduced job prospects and loss of employment.¹³

Sleep Breathing Problems

Obstructive sleep apnea is very prevalent, yet under recognized. The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study estimated a prevalence of 17% among men and 9% among women in that state in the United States. In northern India, the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is 13.7%. OSA is an independent risk factor for hypertension and other cardiovascular ailments. In children, sleep apnea may be the underlying cause of neuropsychological disturbances. Pediatric sleep apnea is typically associated with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

Untreated sleep apnea may lead to heart diseases, stroke, and vascular dementia. Both adults and children should be formally investigated in sleep centres if sleep apnea is suspected, because both adult and pediatric sleep apnea is treatable and correctable; a correct and precise diagnosis is always required. ²⁶

Sleep apnea is diagnosed with polysomnography in the sleep laboratory. Treatment with non-invasive positive airway (continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP) ventilation is generally successful. For mild forms of sleep apnea, the application of oral devices can be beneficial. Surgery to remove excessive tissues in the oropharynx may be considered for individuals who cannot tolerate non-invasive equipment or who have obvious obstruction to airflow in the oropharynx by redundant tissue growth or large tonsils. There is proof that successful correction of sleep apnea with non-invasive positive airway pressure ventilation lowers mean blood pressure and may reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Excessive daytime somnolence generally improves with successful treatment of sleep apnea.

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD SLEEP

Following the guidelines of Sleep Hygiene can help to prevent poor quality nocturnal sleep, short duration of sleep, fragmentation of sleep and serious sleep deprivation in adults.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF SLEEP HYGIENE FOR ADULTS

1. Fix a bedtime and an awakening time.
2. If you are in the habit of taking siestas, do not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep.
3. Avoid excessive alcohol ingestion 4 hours before bedtime and do not smoke.
4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate.
5. Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bed is acceptable.
6. Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
7. Use comfortable bedding.
8. Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated.
9. Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible.
10. Reserve the bed for sleep and sex. Don’t use the bed as an office, workroom or recreation room.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF SLEEP HYGIENE FOR CHILDREN [AGES BIRTH TO 12 YEARS]

1. Go to bed at the same time every night, preferably before 9:00PM.
2. Have an age-appropriate nap schedule.
3. Establish a consistent bedtime routine.
4. Make your child’s bedroom sleep conducive – cool, dark, and quiet.
5. Encourage your child to fall asleep independently.
6. Avoid bright light at bedtime and during the night, and increase light exposure in the morning.
7. Avoid heavy meals and vigorous exercise close to bedtime.
8. Keep all electronics, including televisions, computers, and cell phones, out of the bedroom and limit the use of electronics before bedtime.
9. Avoid caffeine, including many sodas, coffee, and teas (as well as iced tea).
10. Keep a regular daily schedule, including consistent mealtimes.

Here in a Performance Lifestyle we are including the commandments and illuminating the lifestyle where you can take your sleep performance to a whole new level. B

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