Sleep

If tossing and turning in bed is bringing you down, getting professional help might help you get down to the crux of the problem.

A good night’s sleep has been proven to solve every problem—it helps you concentrate better, work out harder at the gym, perform tasks faster, improve your metabolism, and bolster your immunity. But with the number of distractions on deck—like the constant scrolling and flipping through channels—it can be hard to find. For some people, eating the wrong food at night or snoring can lead to restful sleep, while for others, a too-warm sleep environment or a too-bright room can be the culprit.

If you cannot pinpoint your actual sleep issue, a sleep coach might be able to help. Do you need one? How does it work? We spoke to the experts to find out.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.

However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.

Sleep Tight

If tossing and turning in bed is bringing you down, getting professional help might help you get down to the crux of the problem.

A good night’s sleep has been proven to solve every problem—it helps you concentrate better, work out harder at the gym, perform tasks faster, improve your metabolism and bolster your immunity. But with the amount of distractions on deck—like the constant scrolling and flipping through channels—it can be hard to actually find. For some people, eating the wrong food at night or snoring can come in the way of restful sleep, while for others, a too-warm sleep environment or a too-bright room can be the culprit. If you’re not able to pinpoint what your actual sleep issue is, a sleep coach might be able to help. Do you need one? How does it work? We spoke to the experts to find out.

What are the dangers of sleep deprivation?

“Sleep deprivation, whether it is due to lifestyle or medical issues, can cause serious physiological and psychological issues that affect your day-to-day lives and interpersonal relationships,” says Pune-based Dr Seemab Shaikh, the founder and national president of the Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnea. A sleep surgeon and ENT as well, Dr Shaikh says that most people are unsure what their reason for a bad night’s sleep is, and simple diagnostic tests could go a long way. In fact, as shown in a recent survey, 8 in 10 adults wish they could sleep better, but most people (60 per cent) said that they had never taken steps to actually improve the quality of their sleep, or think that they have a problem on their hands. “I see a lot of patients who think that snoring is actually a sign of a good, deep sleep. A doctor will tell you that that is not the case, and stopping it when it starts is a good way to make sure it doesn’t keep affecting you,” confirms Shaikh.

How can sleep coaching help?

“Snoring, for example, means that there is a blockage in your air passage that is causing an obstruction as you sleep,” says Dr Reji Paul, consultant neurologist, Aster Medcity. This can spiral. “When you have slept for ten hours and do not wake up fresh, it means that your body is oxygen deprived, which is because of the narrowed air pipe due to snoring,” confirms Dr Shaikh. “This means digestion, muscle action, your blood pressure, and heart health are affected. Repeatedly low oxygenation to the brain will affect your neurocognitive functioning. This manifests as early morning headaches, lethargy, loss in concentration, irritability and temperamental issues.” While most sleep disorders simply get classified as insomnia, Dr Paul is quick to suggest that it might be something more at play. “As part of the sleep study, we first check the clinical history of the patient. A camera examination of the airway will help locate the blockage and not everyone needs to undergo a minimally invasive medical procedure or even an overnight sleep study as the issue can often be solved by changing your habits,” says Paul.

Sleep coaches and doctors can also help weaning patients off of sleeping medications, creating natural environments that might be more conducive to good rest. At centres like the Shaditya Hospital in Chennai and the Dr A.B.R ENT Clinic in Mumbai, overnight sleep studies can be done to track sleeping patterns and course-correct any issues. If medical problems are ruled out, lifestyle changes can be fixed in the same way. Extremely popular in the US and Europe, online sleep coaches (Like Insomnia Coach) can help track issues by having clients fill in sleep diaries. Not ready to work with a doctor yet? Apps like Sleep Cycle, Pillow and Sleepscore can help keep you accountable.

Rise in sleep-related disorders by 15-20 per cent: experts

During the Covid-19 induced nationwide lockdown, specialists in Pune and across the country were challenged on how to tackle sleep-related disorders and conduct sleep studies at home with experts reporting incidence of such disorders has increased by 15-20 per cent. Doctors have also attributed anxiety levels as a contributing factor due to Covid-19 pandemic-related uncertainties.

Ahead of World Sleep Day on March 19, which has the theme ‘Regular Sleep, healthy future’, a consensus document has been released as a reference guide for physicians on how to practice sleep medicine during the pandemic.

Published in the Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine, the document talks about new onset sleep disturbances, including insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, which have been reported in this period. Severe Covid-19 disease and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have shared risk factors, including advancing age, systemic hypertension and cardiovascular disease, the document states.

Dr Seemab Shaikh, founder president of the Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnea and one of the authors of the document, said the incidence of sleep disorders has increased by 15 to 20 percent. “Pre-Covid on a daily basis there were four to five consultations. Due to the lockdown, we started teleconsultations and there were at least eight to ten inquires with more cases once OPDs commenced,” Shaikh, who is also a consulting ENT and sleep specialist, told The Indian Express on Friday.

OSA is a sleep disorder where a person’s breathing stops involuntarily due to over relaxation of throat muscles. Such pauses in breath occur multiple times throughout the night, leading to disrupted and poor sleep.

Globally, OSA is on the rise and according to several studies, there is a steady increase in the number of people in India who suffer from this sleep disorder.