Reports indicate nearly eight in 10 married couples say their partner has a sleep problem, like snoring, insomnia, or incessant tossing and turning. Sleep difficulties force their partners into separate sleeping quarters. More than 20 per cent say they are too sleepy for sex.
You can blame this on too much work, stress, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, 24-hour cable TV, the Internet and email.
Lack of sleep has consequences like increased blood pressure that raises the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Diabetes and obesity have also been linked with chronic sleep loss. People who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease.
To stay awake people tend to eat more and that means they put on weight. They smoke more and drink too much coffee and alcohol. That means they are prone to motor vehicle collisions. They hurt themselves and hurt others.
For optimal health it is important for adults to consistently sleep around seven hours each night. When we sleep, the body rests and restores its energy levels. A good night’s sleep will help us cope with stress, solve problems and help us recover from illness.
If you have sleep problem then seek help. There are many ways to help diagnose and treat sleep disorders including snoring. Your family doctor can refer you to a sleep clinic.
We know heart disease is the leading cause of death in advanced industrialized countries, and stroke is also a leading cause of death and disability.
American Heart Association wants you to know that the evidence is very strong for the relationship between sleep apnoea and hypertension and cardiovascular disease generally. If you are a snorer and have sleep apnoea then get proper treatment.
In a sleep study, doctors count pauses in breathing to determine whether the patient has mild sleep apnoea, characterized by five to 15 episodes per hour; moderate sleep apnoea, defined by 15 to 30 per hour; or severe sleep apnoea, meaning more than 30 each hour.
A sleep clinic can get you started with investigations and treatment known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The CPAP device involves wearing a mask while sleeping. It keeps the breathing passages open and oxygen flowing. It can yield fast results. Blood pressure comes down quickly. This improves your prognosis.
Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!