Friday 18 March 2022 is World Sleep Day®. This annual event is a celebration of sleep and aims to raise awareness of important sleep related issues such as driving, socialising, medicine and education. The theme for this year’s event is: quality sleep, sound mind, happy world.
About World Sleep Day®
World Sleep Day was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community who were working and studying sleep medicine and research. The first World Sleep Day goal was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and share sleep knowledge across the world.
These medical professionals and researchers regularly found that sleep was not seen as a priority in personal health and well-being. Therefore, the founders of World Sleep Day wish to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep. Get involved by visiting the World Sleep Day® website.
Symptoms of lack of sleep
Amidst the busy, fast-paced ways of modern living, people forget that sleep is essential for your good health. Did you know that by staring at the blue light emitted from our technological devices, the production of melatonin (the hormone associated with controlling your sleep-wake cycle) is reduced? Lack of sleep can have huge implications in all areas of your life as being tired affects us physically, mentally and emotionally.
Insufficient sleep can directly affect how a person feels during their waking hours. Examples of these effects include:
- Slower thinking and response times
- Reduced attention span
- Worsened memory
- Poor or risky decision-making
- Lack of energy
- Mood changes including feelings of stress, anxiety, or irritability
- What could be the cause of your sleep deprivation?
1. Sleep disorders
What is the definition of a sleep disorder? The term sleep disorder refers to conditions that affect sleep quality, timing and/or duration and impact a person’s ability to function while they’re awake. These sleep disorders can lead to other health problems and may be symptoms for underlying mental health issues. Over 100 specific sleep disorders have been identified and most can be highlighted by one more of the following four signs:
1. You have trouble falling or remaining asleep
2. You find it difficult to stay awake during the day
3. Imbalances in your circadian rhythm interfere with a healthy sleep pattern
4. You are prone to unusual behaviours that disturb your sleep
2. Enlarged prostate
The prostate sits just underneath the bladder and, as it enlarges, it can block the flow of urine out of the bladder making it slower and intermittent when a man passes urine.
Having an enlarged prostate can have other effects on the bladder, such as needing to urinate more and getting up frequently during the night which results in disturbed sleep for both you and your partner. You may find that you’re having to rush to the toilet without much warning because the bladder is trying to empty even when it’s not completely full. Some patients reach the point where they can’t pass urine at all, so a catheter is needed.
At Benenden Hospital we offer patients with enlarged prostate the UroLift® procedure, a low-risk outpatient procedure that provides rapid and long-lasting relief from your inconvenient and stressful urinary symptoms.
3. Sleep apnoea
Sleep apnoea is a condition where your breathing stops and starts while you’re asleep. The most common form is obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Sleep apnoea has been linked to being overweight, nasal polyps, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. If you suffer from severe OSA you can have disturbed, broken sleep which can leave you feeling exhausted during the day.
If you experience any of the symptoms of sleep apnoea, our private GP Service can help. Book an appointment by calling our Private Patient team on 01580 363158.
Published on 18 March 2022