The third Friday of March commemorates the World Sleep Day and this year, under the motto ‘Sleep is essential for health‘, is organized with the aim of influencing the importance of people of all ages taking measures to improve their sleep because it has a critical influence on health and physical, mental and social well-being. And it is that, The Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) estimates that 48% of the Spanish adult population and 25% of the child population do not have quality sleep. In addition, at least 50% of the population have trouble falling asleep and 32% wake up with the feeling of not having had a good night’s sleep.
“Sleep is essential for health. Sleeping adequately is just as important as proper nutrition or physical exercise. We know that sleep greatly influences memory and learning and also long-term brain health,” says Dr. Ana Fernández Arcos, Coordinator of the Study Group on Wakefulness and Sleep Disorders of the Spanish Society of Neurology. (SEN). “For example, poor sleep has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and premature mortality. We also know that a worse immune response is produced, creating a greater susceptibility to infections. In addition, it can pose a greater risk of accidents at work and while driving, since reaction time and decision-making are affected. We have more and more evidence that some sleep disorders could be closely related to the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cerebrovascular disease or having poor control of epilepsy. However, the percentage of the population that does not rest adequately is very high”.
What a quality sleep should be like
There are several factors necessary for good quality sleep, as explained by Dr. Ana Fernández Arcos:
The duration, which should be long enough to be rested and alert the next day: adults should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a day, children over 2 years of age more than 10 hours, and adolescents at least 8.
The regularity of the rest schedule according to our circadian rhythm or biological clock.
Continuity, since sleep periods must be stable, avoiding fragmentation, consisting of all its phases (especially deep NREM sleep and REM sleep) to be restful. And when at least one of these elements fails, we are no longer resting properly.”
Although people of all ages and sexes can have sleep problems, the different studies that have been carried out in Spain agree that they are more frequent in women and in older people: only 33% of Spanish women sleep, between week, at least 7 hours and more than 25% of the elderly have sleep problems. In any case, they also significantly affect Spanish children and adolescents, where at least 20% admit that they do not have regular sleep schedules and more than 30% consider that their sleep is insufficient.
“To have good sleep habits, it is essential not only to try to sleep enough hours according to our age, but also to have a regular sleep schedule,” explains Dr. Ana Fernández Arcos. “Furthermore, to achieve a good quality of sleep it is also important to lead a healthy life, trying to perform physical exercise on a regular basis, avoiding -especially close to bedtime- copious meals and substances such as alcohol and tobacco that can disturb our sleep Naps are discouraged in case of trouble falling asleep at night and in general we recommend that they do not exceed 20-30 minutes. On the other hand, the environment where we sleep plays a fundamental role in getting better sleep. Factors such as staying in the dark and in silence and trying to avoid stress by removing those elements that can over-excite us before going to sleep, such as the use of mobile phones or computers, are also measures to take into account”.
4 million Spaniards suffer serious sleep disorders
According to data from the SEN, more than 4 million Spaniards suffer from some type of chronic and serious sleep disorder. On the other hand, the World Sleep Society estimates that at least 45% of the world’s population will suffer from some serious sleep disorder at some point.
Insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, restless legs syndrome, NREM parasomnias, REM sleep behavior disorder, narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia are the most common sleep disorders among the population. Spanish.
45% of the population will suffer at some point from a serious sleep disorder
And it is that, although taking measures that favor good sleep habits can serve in many cases to improve the quality of our rest, the stage of life in which we find ourselves, the sex and the genetics of each person also play an important role. There are close to 100 classified sleep disorders and, in addition, there are many people who live with diseases whose symptoms interfere with a good rest. But while most sleep disorders can be prevented or treated, less than a third of people who suffer from them seek professional help. This means that in Spain there are sleep disorders that have only been diagnosed in 10% of the people who really suffer from them.
“While experiencing occasional changes in sleep is normal, anyone who is unable to get restful sleep, despite improving their habits, should consult their doctor. Although unfortunately sleep problems have been normalized or culturally accepted, improving rest has to be a priority for everyone because sleep is essential for health”, highlights Dr. Ana Fernández Arcos.
Source: SEN
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