Chandigarh
6 February 2020
DIVYA AZAD
Employees of SBI LHO branch attended a health talk on the ‘Importance of Sleep and Common Sleep Disorders’ presented by Dr Bhaskar Azad, Medical Director, The Sleep Clinic, Chandigarh. Dr Bhaskar was warmly welcomed by senior officials from SBI LHO branch in Sector 17 here.
In today’s fast-paced world, a good night’s sleep has become something of an indulgence. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety, explained Dr. Bhaskar.
Given that most working adults spend around a third of their day at work, the occupational environment is likely to have a bearing on time spent sitting, sleeping and being active, and on subsequent health risks. Long periods spent sitting, sleep duration outside the recommended range (7–8 hours) and a lack of moderate to vigorous physical activity are associated with increased cardio-vascular disease risk, incident of Type 2 diabetes and premature mortality. He explained infants & children need 10-16 hours of sleep, teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep and adults need 7-9 hours of sleep.
He mentioned if you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior.
Elaborating on the Common Sleep Disorders, Dr Bhaskar said that one of the most common disorders is obstructive sleep apnea. It is a condition in which something blocks part or all of your upper airway while you sleep.
As per the latest estimate, close to a billion people globally suffer from this problem, and India has the fourth highest prevalence of this disorder in the world. It is easy to diagnose using a sleep test which can be done either in the comfort of one’s home or in a sleep lab at the clinic based on the disease condition, he explained.
Sleep apnea tends to be very common people in jobs with long sitting hours and a sedentary lifestyle. Low levels of physical activity were associated with moderate-severe OSA. Exercise in individuals with OSA is associated with lower levels of depression, fatigue, blood pressure and CRP.
While mild sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, increasing physical activity, exercise, positional therapy, dental appliances and other techniques – moderate to severe sleep apnea usually requires using a device called CPAP – where one sleeps with a device and a mask which prevents the blocking of the upper airway and prevents the serious consequences linked to sleep apnea.
