Recommended Sleep for All Ages

Sleep is essential to healthy living as much as good nourishment and sufficient exercise is. It is a vital factor for maintaining the both physical health and mental well-being. Foregoing sleep, sleeping irregularly or for shorter durations has detrimental effects. It can cause severe mental disorders, chronic fatigue, lack of motivation or even depression.

Sleeping ensures getting a good night’s respite and rest. This in-turn facilitates regeneration of our body and brain and freshens us up for upcoming activities. This process of restoration helps our body to recuperate from day-long physical activities, exertion and mental stress.

Good sleep is beneficial as it-

• Protects our health
• Keeps us physically active and mentally alert
• Enhances metabolism and regulates hormones
• Helps to maintain healthy body weight
• Fosters better moods

Sleep Recommendations: Age-wise

(Source: National Sleep Foundation)

Sleep Studies

Sleep related difficulties affect a large population worldwide and need evaluation. Sleep Quality can be improved by developing better sleeping habits or taking treatment after appropriate diagnosis.

A sleep laboratory is a specialized center with multiple bedrooms that conducts sleep studies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It may function as a standalone unit or be a part of a hospital. Various diagnostic tests conducted for sleep disorders include

• Overnight oximetry
• Titration Study
• Multiple Sleep Latency Testing
• Actigraphy
• Sleep Diary
• Home Study
• Polysomnography(PSG)

Polysomnography Sleep Study is by far the most popular standard for diagnosing many of the sleep disorders. It involves an overnight stay in a sleep center that is monitored by a trained technician. There is an audio and a video recording of the night’s sleep. Various parameters monitored include Electroencephalography-EEG, Electrocardiography ECG, respiration, oxygen levels, muscle tone and extremity movements.

Sleep Disorders

Common sleep disorders are

• Snoring wherein there is difficulty in keeping the throat open during sleep thereby creating noise. It is less harmful. Treatment for snoring usually includes lifestyle modifications like weight loss, treatment of nasal congestion, changing sleeping positions, using anti-snore pillows, avoiding smoking and alcohol at bed-time and doing throat and tongue exercises.

• Sleep Apnea which is a chronic medical condition where a person repeatedly halts breathing during sleep. Symptoms of sleep apnea include
  • Loud Snoring
  • Gasping for breath during sleep
  • Fatigue or daytime sleepiness
  • Morning headaches and sore throat
  • Memory Impairment
  • Mood Swings
  • Frequent awakening for urination
  • Hypertension

Detection: WatchPAT polysomnography uses the most innovative technology to ensure accurate screening, detection and follow-up treatment of sleep apnea. WatchPAT is a portable and easily usable diagnostic equipment which can be used in the comfort of patient’s bedroom for accurately testing their sleep patterns.

Sleep Apnea treatment includes

• Using Oral Appliances to keep the air passage open.
• Wearing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices like nasal and full-face masks which use mild air pressure for opening airways.
• Sleep Apnea Surgery or Upper Airway Surgery to prevent significant narrowing of upper airway during sleep through various techniques.

Other sleep disorders include

• Insomnia characterized by difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep.
• Narcolepsy that shows symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness along with onset of sudden muscular weakness.
• Restless Leg Syndrome, a neurological movement disorder, that is accompanied by unpleasant feel in the legs associated with need for movement. 
• Parasomnias associated with abnormal sleep behaviors like sleep walking and sleep eating.
• Sleep Paralysis where there is temporary inability to move while transitioning from sleepy state to wakefulness.

For chronic snoring/disturbed sleeping, please consult an ENT physician or Sleep Clinic.