Let’s Talk About Sleep
When international sleep experts collaborate, the public benefits By Gina Dewink
P
op quiz, hotshot. If someone asked you to name the three pillars of health, could you? Sure, there’s healthy food (please stop talking about kale) and then there’s exercise (can I get a New Year’s resolution) and, you’ve probably surmised by the title of this article, the third is sleep. Sound sleep, to be exact. FROM THE SLEEP EXPERT “There are close to 100 disorders of sleep, but most can be modified and are manageable with the help of sleep specialists,” explains Birgit Högl, MD of Austria. “Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable, yet less than 1/3 of sufferers seek professional help. Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life for up to 45% of the world’s population.”
WORLD SLEEP SOCIETY’S CONGRESS ON SLEEP MEDICINE When sleep experts come together from over 75 countries around the world, the public benefits in three main areas: statistics, sleep awareness and international collaborations that further our understanding of sleep and its functions. STATISTICS Ready to worry about your quality of sleep? You probably should be. Recent studies (many completed by members of World Sleep Society and/or published in the scientific journal Sleep Medicine) show: • Individuals who get an entire night’s sleep without any interruptions experience lower rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses. • Insomnia affects between 30–45% of the adult population. • Primary insomnia (insomnia with no underlying condition) affects 25% of our elderly. • Obstructive sleep apnea has an estimated a prevalence of 17% among men and 9% among women in the United States.
Dr. Högl is also the President of World Sleep Society. It’s a prestigious organization devoted to networking and collaborating sleep specialists and researchers from around the world. (Meaning you must be established in the sleep health community to belong to the society.) Let’s Talk About Sleep continued on page 24
BETTER SLEEP BETTER LIFE
BETTER PLANET 23 | healthiersleepmag.com
