Firstly, we need to understand the definition of having a good sleep. It is when one gets 6-8 hours of sound sleep. Preferably sleep at the same time every day and wake up at the same time every day. During sleep, the brain goes through various sleep cycles, and each stage of sleep ( from NREM I, II, III, IV and REM) has specific functions for the brain and the other organs of the body. We need to be in each sleep stage for a particular time duration. After waking up, a person should feel fresh and energetic to go about the day's tasks. Onlymyhealth editorial spoke to Dr. Sonam Solanki, Consultant Pulmonologist and Bronchoscopist, Masina Hospital, Mumbai, MBBS, DNB Pulmonary Medicine, PDDM, HERMES (European Diploma), to know about the health problems caused by poor sleep and ways to treat it.
The brain and the oxygen and blood supply to it, respiratory centres, respiratory muscles, and the structures of the mouth, nose, and neck contribute to breathing. So if there is an imbalance in any mechanism, we can have poor sleep quality and quantity. Snoring, periods of no breathing during the snores (apnoea), drooling from the mouth during sleep, waking up with a headache, feeling sleepy through the day etc., are all signs that someone may be suffering from sleep apnea. Read on to know more.
Health problems due to poor sleep
Poor sleep affects multiple body functions and can have many physical and psychological effects. For example, during good sleep, one can have chemical balance in the brain, and other organs like the liver, body repair and memories get consolidated. Conversely, if sleep balance gets disturbed, one can wake up sleepy, become forgetful, have memory loss, and have mood disturbances.
In addition, nearly every organ of the body undergoes repair during sleep, and poor sleep affects the heart/liver/kidney/weight etc. This is why patients with sleep apnoea have symptoms like uncontrolled diabetes, kidney failure, heart failure, difficulty in losing weight etc. Furthermore, poor sleep puts an individual at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, poor immunity, accident-prone heart issues, poor sex drive, and more weight gain.
Also read: Beware! Regular ‘Poor Sleep’ Patterns Can Make You Overanxious
Ways to treat poor sleep
The first step is identifying sleep apnoea and diagnosing it correctly. Then, a sleep study is done to analyse, quantify, and treat sleep accurately. The sleep study (polysomnography) can be done in hospitals or at home. There are various levels of sleep study based on what parameters are being assessed. A basic one will include just the breathing pattern, oxygen level and breathing sensor.
A detailed one includes leg movement, EEC (brain activity), snoring index, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, eye movements, body position, videography of the tests and many more parameters to document more data and analyse in detail. The ideal type of sleep study is with all parameters and a video recording, done in a sleep lab with manual reporting by a doctor. However, due to many factors, not all sleep studies done are hospital-based, but are home-based as well.
Also read: Know 5 Stages Of Sleep Deprivation And Its Affect On Your Health
Once we know the type of sleep apnoea (central or obstructive) and its severity (mild/moderate/severe), we can plan the best treatment option for the patient.
1. Weight management: Obesity is one of the commonest risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea, but not the only one.
2. CPAP device: If the patient has a moderate to severe sleep apnoea, a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device is often advised for daily usage. Patients have to use it at night during sleeping and also during afternoon naps if needed.
3. Orofacial exercises: For mild sleep apnoea patients, alternate weight loss methods, mandibular devices, and orofacial exercises are tried if there are no other life-threatening risk factors.
So overall, patients with sleep apnoea need to be diagnosed early and keep a high suspicion index. Once diagnosed, deciding on an appropriate therapy modality is crucial. It is a lifelong therapy, and the doctor and patient have to work hand in hand, troubleshooting the issues and making the CPAP comfortable for the patients.
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