ABU DHABI 20 April 2019: A good night’s rest plays an important role in improving quality of life and overall health, says a Healthpoint specialist.
Dr. Jassem Abdou, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at the Abu Dhabi-based hospital, said the average person needs about seven to eight hours’ sleep each night, to allow their bodies to recuperate.
“Waking up without being rested can affect a person’s focus in all aspects of life, as well as their physical health,” he said on the occasion of World Sleep Day, which took place on Friday.
“While it is common for people to have trouble sleeping occasionally, feeling incapable of getting a good night’s sleep could indicate that person suffers from a sleep disorder.”
Sleep Apnea
One of the most common such disorders is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when breathing is interrupted during sleep as a result of a temporary airway collapse. This causes the diaphragm and chest muscles to work harder to open it, placing stress on the body and interrupting the body’s state of rest.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, two leading causes of stroke. In addition, sleep apnea can have a significant effect on the body’s ability to control blood sugar, increasing the risk of developing type two diabetes. Proper diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea can help mitigate the risk of diabetes and stroke due to sleep apnea.
Patients are diagnosed with sleep apnea during a sleep study, where a patient’s breathing, movement and brain activity are monitored while they sleep to determine the cause of their sleep interruptions. Sleep studies can often be performed in a patient’s own home to enhance their comfort. Obesity has the strongest association with sleep apnea. In such cases, doctors recommend weight loss as a primary method of treatment. Other common sleep disorders include insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and problems with sleep quality.
