Sleep awareness gets wake-up call

The Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine (PSSM) and Sanofi-Synthelabo Phils. recently launched an awareness campaign to raise public consciousness on the importance of sleep to health and productivity.

The campaign, with the theme "Sleep and its Impact to Health and Productivity in the Workplace," aims to draw attention to sleep as a vital aspect of life.

In a press conference held at Dulcinea Restaurant in Quezon City, sleep experts led by Drs. Mercy Gappi, Roland de la Eva and Ruby Manalastas gave an overview of sleep and discussed interesting topics like sleep hygiene, sleep deprivation and insomnia.

Sleep is important for mental alertness, performance at work and general health. People deprived of sleep lose energy, become quick-tempered, lose concentration and make mistakes. A little amount of sleep is often equated with tiredness, dullness and inefficiency.

According to sleep expert Gappi, president of the PSSM, "Sleep deprivation affects a person’s concentration and this translates into poor work performance and loss of productivity."

Dr. Ma. Felicidad Soto, past president of the PSSM, pointed out that lack of sleep could even lead to accidents. "Insomnia is a symptom that can cause significant morbidity and loss of productivity if left untreated. It is one of the reasons why many people figure in road mishaps and work-related accidents, not to mention increasing cases of absenteeism in the workforce."

A good sleep has a restorative effect. It is equated with feeling fresh and rested. Conversely, little sleep makes one feel wiped out, tired and depressed.

It must be noted that we spend approximately one-third of our lives in a sleeping state. However, many people take sleep for granted, not realizing the unwanted physical, mental and behavioral effects of the lack of sleep, or a disturbed sleep.

A study of Metro Manila insomniacs conducted by Isis Research last year showed that five out of 10 Filipino adults suffer from a sleep disorder.

It was found out that it is not just the elderly who suffer from insomnia, but also the young. The study also revealed that sufferers are reluctant to seek medical advice because they perceive the problem to be not serious.

With the astonishingly large number of people with sleep disorder, there is a need to promote sleep awareness to achieve high performance at work and increase one’s productivity.

Thus, the PSSM and Sanofi-Synthelabo Phils. will conduct lay fora to inform and educate people who are not satisfied with the quality of their sleep to seek medical help to improve their condition.

Everyone who has trouble sleeping needs to talk to a physician, said Manalastas, an officer of PSSM who is in charge of insomnia management treatment at St. Luke’s Medical Center. "Insomnia does have an impact on life’s quality," she said.

Sleeping problems can be avoided with proper management. Consultation with a doctor helps one to understand better the causes and consequences of disturbances in sleep.

Being aware of one’s sleep problems is the first step toward therapy.