Our well-being and many aspects of our social life are affected by lack of sleep, reports the Hellenic Lung Society Research Group on Sleep Disorders on the occasion of today. World Sleep Day.

“A short sleep leads to a short life.” The idea that we can shorten our sleep time in order to devote it to other activities, whether it be work or leisure, is very dangerous.

Over the past 50 years, the average sleep duration in the Western world has fallen by about two hours, and a large percentage of people now sleep less than seven hours, which is considered the minimum to avoid health problems due to lack of sleep.

It is emphasized that sleep, along with food, water and breathing, are the basic needs of our body. Long-term deprivation is a major risk factor for a wide range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and diabetes.

Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase appetite, leading to weight gain. Lack of sleep can lead, among other things, to sleepiness during the day, which reduces our productivity at work or school and leads to serious traffic accidents.

Good sleep is also essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. The information needed for a range of immune responses is transmitted to the body during sleep, according to EPE’s Sleep Disorders Research Group.

Obstructive sleep apnea

A very common sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnea. In some people, snoring is accompanied by complete cessation of breathing lasting from a few seconds to more than a minute.

During these breaks, snoring stops and resumes more strongly when the person resumes breathing. These pauses in breathing are called apneas. If a person experiences multiple sleep apneas, they are considered to be suffering from sleep apnea syndrome.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are chronic snoring with interrupted breathing (apnea) during sleep, frequent nocturnal sleep apnea, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue.

The Hellenic Lung Society Research Group on Sleep Disorders has developed the STOP BANG, a useful tool for clinicians to identify people who may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Source: RES-IPE