World Sleep Day: Cases of sleep apnea up by 15-20 per cent, says expert

Sleep cycle disturbed post-Covid, exacerbated by rise in screen time

sleep deprivation, type-2 diabetes, diabetes

Getting good sleep is important to maintain good health (Image credit: Freepik)

On the occasion of World Sleep Day (March 15), ENT specialists and health advocates have stepped up awareness of sleep health. According to Dr Seemab Shaikh — a city-based expert and founder, national president of Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnea — sleep disorders have been on the rise post Covid and with changing lifestyles and increased screen time, people’s sleep cycles have been disturbed.

“Despite struggling with sleep apnea, one spends hours in bed on the cell phone. The combination of these two can leave you feeling groggy, exhausted, and zombie-like the following day. If you want to take back control of your sleep patterns, it’s in your best interest to power down your phone, get the necessary treatment for your Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), and start embracing a better quality of life,” said Dr Shaikh, who recently delivered the prestigious Dr Joe V Desa Memorial Oration at the 75th annual conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists Of India.

According to Dr Shaikh, post-Covid symptoms like daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and memory/concentration problems may be due to reduced sleep efficiency and undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). “People who have had Covid-19 reported experiencing symptoms, such as chronic pain, brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain, and intense fatigue, for either weeks, months, or years after getting Covid,” he said.

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“Another major cause of OSA today is electronic devices. Sleep apnea sufferers and in fact, everyone needs to be especially aware of how electronic devices can affect sleep. The late bedtimes and sleep interruptions caused by cell phones and other electronic devices may exacerbate your daytime tiredness and other symptoms,” Dr Shaikh said.

“In an OPD we are seeing at least a 15-20 per cent rise in cases of sleep apnea,” Dr Shaikh told The Indian Express, adding that paediatric cases and issues of disturbed sleep among children were also concerning.

The doctor however pointed out that unlike in the past, where the obstruction in the airway (for sleep apnea) required to be treated by a major surgery, there are advances in treatment. “There is no reason to fear as non-invasive methods to deal with the condition are now available and there is a clear cut protocol for standardised surgeries for OSA,” Dr Shaikh said.

The theme this year is Sleep Equity for Global Health and while sleep is essential to health, measurable differences persist in populations across the world. According to a survey done by LocalCircles, a community based platform, the quality of uninterrupted sleep has been impacted. Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles said that their survey — How India Sleeps — received over 41,000 responses from citizens located in 309 districts of India. “61 per cent of Indians surveyed got less than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night in the last 12 months,” Taparia said, adding that 26 per cent of Indians surveyed sid their sleep quality deteriorated post the COVID pandemic.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More

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