Choose the content to read
- What is the definition of quality of sleep?
- How does poor sleep quality affect quality of life?
- When should you seek medical care from a sleep medicine specialist?
- How to diagnose sleep disorders?
Sleep Disorders
Do you know that we spend almost one-third of our life on sleep? We sleep around 6-8 hours each night. So, if our average life expectancy is 80 years, we would spend almost 30 years sleeping.
What is the definition of quality of sleep?
The quality of our sleep affects the quality of our daytime activity. A night of good sleep does not only refer to the length of the sleep but also to the quality of sleep and good daytime quality of life. How well you sleep at night can determine how well you can perform your daily routine during the day.
How much sleep each person needs varies by age. Children need longer hours of sleep than adults or the elderly. The National Sleep Foundation (USA) has set a recommended hours of sleep as follows:
- Children aged 6 - 13: 9-10 hours
- Teenagers aged 14 - 17: 8-10 hours
- Young Adults aged 18 - 25: 7-9 hours
- Adults aged 26 - 64: 7-9 hours
- The elderly aged over 64: 7-8 hours
Note: Sleeping 1-2 hours shorter or longer than the recommended hours is still considered appropriate.
How does poor sleep quality affect quality of life?
A poor sleep quality especially sleep deprivation can lead to multiple conditions such as excessive daytime sleepiness, accidents, poor concentration, slow response or reaction time, brain function impairment, poor short-term memory, and poor school performance. In the case of chronic sleep deprivation, there is a risk of memory loss, frequent hunger, weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus. In addition, when you do not get enough sleep, your immune system is weakened. Small studies on chronic oversleeping/hypersomnia revealed a higher prevalence in patients with diabetes mellitus, resistant hypertension, or ischemic heart disease. Adequate quality sleep is crucial for every age group.
Sleep disorders can result in somatic symptoms; vice versa, certain diseases may be linked to sleep disorders, e.g. thyroid diseases, degenerative brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, and a certain type of encephalitis may have a prodromal phase of chronic dream enactment/REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). In addition, excessive daytime sleepiness may be associated with narcolepsy or more commonly with obstructive sleep apnea.
When should you seek medical care from a sleep medicine specialist?
- You suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or have loud snoring.
- After waking up, you do not feel refreshed. You usually feel dizzy, and have a headache or dry mouth and throat.
- You experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
- You have suspected abnormal movements or vocalization during sleep.
- You have restless legs syndrome or feel uncomfortable in your legs before bedtime.
- You have tooth grinding/clenching during sleep.
- You suffer from insomnia.
How to diagnose sleep disorders?
To diagnose sleep disorders or other sleep-related problems, doctors will inquire about your medical history and perform a physical examination. You will need to answer a tailor-made questionnaire for specific sleep problems so doctors can evaluate your condition. Polysomnography (PSG) is a standardized sleep test done with special equipment. This test will monitor your electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), respiration, electrocardiography (EKG), and oxygen saturation. This thorough assessment requires patients to stay at the hospital for 1-2 nights. Another sleep study is the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) which assesses excessive daytime sleepiness.
At present, the trend of sleep study aims to evaluate the actual symptoms occurring at patients’ homes. Because their hospital stay may not reenact their usual sleep pattern and symptoms at home. There are innovations in sleep study gadgets such as a wristwatch-sized Actigraph which can track sleeping and waking time for weeks to screen for sleep problems and a NIGHT-Recorder attached to patients’ bodies to assess movements during sleep. There is also a home sleep study, similar to a hospital-based polysomnography study, to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
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