Whenever I don’t have sound sleep, the next day is chaotic and out of sorts. I am not able to concentrate on my work. It leads to heaviness on my mind; headache and eye pain become problematic for me.
Sleep disorders happen with most of us, be it young or old. Due to the extreme pressure of our modern lifestyle, we can’t get sound sleep. Sleep disorders make us toss and turn the whole night and we wake up grumpy, cranky and not working at our best.
What is the Importance of Sound Sleep?
Poor sleep leads to long term effects on health, relationships, and quality of life. Hence, sound sleep is very important for both physical and mental well-being.
One out of 3 people suffers from poor sleep.
Lack of sleep makes you feel drowsy and fatigued during the day. It becomes difficult to carry out day to day activities such as concentration on work, family time and other lifestyle routines.
It further causes serious illnesses like hypertension, depression, obesity, diabetes, etc. It’s recommended to have 7-9 hours of sleep at night for proper body functions. Some people need less, some more and it varies from person to person.
Is Snoring while Sleeping Good or Bad?
Snoring usually occurs when there is a narrowing of the upper airway. Simple snoring may not affect the overall quality of your sleep and it’s different from sleep disorders. However, loud snoring may be associated with sleep disorders.
About 50% of people snore at some point in their life. It’s more common in men in comparison to women.
In loud snoring, individuals may experience a short period of time in which they stop breathing. The pauses in breathing while sleeping at night put you at risk of serious health issues or in some cases, may even claim your life.
But due to lack of awareness, we keep ignoring these symptoms of sleep disorders which deeply impact our health.
What is a Sleep Disorder?
Sleep disorder also known as sleep apnea causes cessation of breathing during sleep. The breathing stops because the upper airway collapses and prevents air from getting into the lungs.
These episodes can last from 10 seconds to as long as a minute or more. These breathing disruptions interfere with sleep patterns and make you feel tired and sleepy during the day.
How to rule out if I have Sleep Disorder?
If you regularly feel tired after a good sleep during the night or your partner complains, consult your doctor for sleep apnea. The general symptoms include:
Loud Snoring: The end of a periodic episode of apnea is associated with loud snores, gasps, moans, and mumblings. But it’s not necessary that the ones who snore have apnea or the one with apnea necessarily snores.
Partner Complaints: Your partner notices that you snore along with periodic episodes of interrupted breathing. This may disturb your partner and can affect your relationship.
Extreme Fatigue during the day: You may fall asleep during sitting hours like watching TV, sitting on the desk, during lectures, or even driving. Extreme fatigue could be an indicator of sleep apnea.
You may not feel refreshed, headaches, heaviness, dullness, lack of concentration, severe dryness of the mouth, etc.
Who is at increased risk for sleep disorder?
People who have risk factors like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stroke history, heart failure, are at high risk & could be suffering from a sleep disorder.
In otherwise healthy adults, short-term consequences include increased stress, reduced quality of life, mood disorders, and performance deficits.
Long-term consequences include hypertension, cardiovascular disease, weight-related issues, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and colorectal cancer.
Some key facts: Out of 100, 77 obese patients are likely to suffer from Sleep Apnea. It’s mandatory to do screening for sleep apnea in all patients with Type 2 diabetes
According to the International Diabetes Federation.
What happens if Sleep disorder left untreated?
Sleep disorders slowly develop medical conditions and have multiple risk factors if left untreated:
Hypertension or cardiovascular diseases– According to the National Institute of Health, sleep apnea is an identifiable cause of hypertension. A recent study shows that reduced sleep associated with increased risk of coronary artery calcification, myocardial infarction (heart attack) or even death. High prevalence of sleep apnea is also found in cardiovascular (heart) diseases (30-80%)., including hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, and irregular heartbeat.
Uncontrolled diabetes– Studies have shown that people with less than five hours at night are at risk of having or developing type 2 diabetes. Sleep disorder leads to insulin resistance. Over 50% of type 2 diabetes patients have been shown to have sleep apnea. At the same time, some studies have found that improved sleep improves blood sugar levels and reduces the effects of type 2 diabetes.
Obesity– According to studies, people with lack of sleep less than 6 hours in a day more likely to have excess body weight
Depression– if sleep deprivation continues you may develop anxiety, depression, hallucinations, etc.
Fatigue– Your risk of injury at home, work and on the road increases.
Decreased quality of life– The sleepless nights affect your mental health. It would make it difficult to concentrate on work and make decisions. You’ll start to feel low.
Impotence or Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive– Research suggests men who suffer from sleep apnea tend to have lower testosterone levels, hence lower libidos. They may have less interest in sex.
What should I do to find out if I have a sleep disorder?
People get lots of advice for treating snoring and they end up worsening the situation. Many of you also get addicted to sleeping pills without consulting a doctor which should be avoided.
The basic treatment is getting more sleep by changing your lifestyle. If you don’t get a sound sleep after this then you should consult your doctor.
Your doctor may conduct a sleep test known as a polysomnography test. The test measures bodily functions including airflow, breathing and other related parameters that are done throughout the night. Good thing is that now this test can be done in the comfort of your home as well.
The doctor will provide you CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy, effective treatment for sleep apnea. In this therapy, a CPAP machine, manufactured by healthcare companies such as PHILIPS Respironics, is used.
CPAP therapy allows the patient to breathe freely and get sound sleep. The CPAP machine prevents the upper airway from getting obstructed during sleep by providing a gentle flow of air through the upper airway. The therapy is normal and gives you a comfortable experience while sleeping.
This World Sleep Day let’s pledge to overcome Sleep Disorders
On March 13, 2020, World Sleep Day is celebrated with the theme “Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet”
Let’s do our part and create awareness about sleep problems and their prevention and management.
The initiative by healthcare companies like PHILIPS Respironics in providing meaningful solutions for sleep disorders is appreciated.
According to studies, Sleep apnea is now becoming a worldwide epidemic. And about 7-9% of the Indian adult population suffers from Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea has a high correlation to depression, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc.
(Research titled Prevalence of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Sleep Apnea in Middle-Aged Urban Indian Men by Dr Udwadia ZF, Dr AV Doshi, Dr SG Lonkar, Dr CI Singh)
Quality sleep improves the overall well-being of a person. These healthcare solutions help people achieve balanced, energetic and healthy lives by overcoming sleep disorders effectively.
References: https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body#9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/ http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/health https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/ https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#1 Disclaimer & Disclosure: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger/ third party. This is a part of the public awareness and eductaional purpose only. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information.
I didn’t know sleep disorders can lead to so many issues! This is very helpful! Thank you for sharing!
I am an insomniac and i have gone through most of the disorders mentioned here. Insomnia adds to my harmonal issues, imbalancing everything
Yes, I also can’t concentrate on my work if my sleep is interrupted. Your post is really very important to get all info about sleep disorders and their remedies. Thanks for the article.
When it comes to treating sleep disorders, there is no one size fits all solution. Sleep disorder treatment usually has a combination of medical treatments and lifestyle changes. Great thoughts.
I developed sleep disorders while i was expecting. But now its better. Its so frustrating when you cant sleep properly in the night.
Sleeping is one of the underrated thing when it comes to health. Not many understand the value of good sleep. These are some good tips.
Snoaring is so common that quite often people think it’s because of over fatigue. But it can be a form of sleep disorder. It is surprising how a simple habit can become a serious issue.
Sleep is a basic human need and is critical to both physical and mental health. Hence we should know the importance of sleep. Thanks for sharing this useful article
Never knew there could be so many issues related to sleep disorder. I always used to think if I am too tired only then I snore.
Ignoring sleep problems and disorders can damage your physical health and affects your mental health too. Sometimes even I snore. Snoring is quite common.
Sleep is an integral part of our well being. Once again a great article Bushra.
I have heard that humans can live without food for longer than they can live without sleep. you have given such detailed information, I will share this with my family too.
Soaring can impact so much I seriously had not idea thank you so much for informative post.. .
I am highly impressed with this article ! Being a doctor myself, I could not have done a better job at describing sleep related problems and emphasising the need for a restful and refreshing sleep .Well done !
Snoring is often laughed and ignored. Shocked how that can be leading to many disorders and is a serious concern.
Agreed! I read sleep directly relates to building our immunity. If you have any type of sleep disorder or you are not sleeping properly, consult with your doctor, it should be taken care of.
yes good sleep is extremely important for good health. I did not know that there is world sleep disorder day too.. thanks for sharing this important info. will help in raising awareness among people for putting enough attention on their sleep quality.
Snoring is common problem. Even my hubby snore . He went to sleep while watching tv and that now trigger me after reading your post
I have a sound sleep and it gets disturbed only if I am super excited for some event. Good to know pointers about sleep disorders, will take in consideration for the family.
A good sleep ensures good health but I didn’t know that sleep disorders could be so severe too. Thanks for sharing.
This is very informative article, i didn’t know even simple habits like snoring could be a serious issue
Good sleep is essential to good health but most people don’t realise that and continue to suffer with sleep disorders.
We often make fun of people who snore or complaint if they don’t get 8 hours sleep. But there can be many other reason behind it. Thanks for this detailed information.
Such an informative post and you had explained importance of good sleep and types of sleep disorders so well in this post. thanks for sharing valuable info.
I know someone who has those exact same symptoms, sharing this post. Might help him understand his issues much better after reading this
Yet another informative post buddy, I didn’t know about these in details. Thank you for sharing
This was very informative. In fact I am thinking that I should ask my husband to check if he has sleep apnea! Sharing this with him.
Like always you have shared the information around sleep disorders in such a good manner. The facts around sleep apnea are scary though.
Sleep disorders can be really troublesome. Without a good night’s sleep you cant function properly.
Sleep is an essential routine all must have for good health
An informative post about how important sleep disorders are and the need to pay attention to them.
A nice and detailed information related to sleep and sleep disorders. In today’s fast paced life sleep is the most deprived thing in one’s life. But as said a sound sleep is one of the must for keeping body sound and fit.
A good sleep is so important, makes you awaken well rested and ready for the days activities. Your post today is an eye opener
I have come across this article twice and i do agree with all the points you have mentioned
Luckily till date I have great sleep and now that my kids are sleeping throughout the night, it doesn’t even get disturbed. My hubby used to snore.
Having worked in night shifts, I realize the importance of a good night’s sleep. Every aspect of health is affected adversely.
Wonderful article mentioning all the relevant sleep disorders. Good job! It’s extremely well researched too.