Uratex supports PSSMI’s Sleep Summit

MANILA, Philippines - In connection with the celebration of World Sleep Day, the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine, Inc. (PSSMI) recently held the 7th Sleep Symposium and 2013 Sleep Summit dubbed “Sleeplessness Today: New Insights and Strategies” at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.

“We are actually going through an epidemic of sleep deprivation,” said Dr. Rosalina Espiritu-Picar, PSSMI immediate past president. “That’s why this year, the theme is mostly on sleeplessness, insomnia, difficulty in sleeping — mostly because globally, these are very common conditions.”

Sleeplessness is one of the most common sleep-related complaints. “There are lots of possible causes from where sleeplessness or insomnia comes from. We are trying to piece together all of them through this conclave,” she said.

No less than Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, a globally recognized sleep expert, flew to Manila from the United States and led the dinner symposium with his talk on “Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of insomnia.”

“The main purpose of this event is actually to educate. We want to get people informed and also to create interest from the younger physicians, especially residents, to be aware and understand the importance of sleep,” said Espiritu-Picar.

One of the main culprits of sleep deprivation is an irregular sleep schedule. There are also certain medical conditions that can cause insomnia like anxiety, depression, psychiatric disorders, cardiac problems, snoring or stoppage of breathing while sleeping, and chronic pain.

Unusual conditions like restless legs as well as bad sleeping habits also contribute to difficulty in sleeping. Furthermore, social activities like partying all night, alcohol and cigarette use, caffeine overuse and abuse, and smoking and drugs make it hard for a person to get correct sleep.

To help prevent or remedy sleeplessness, Espiritu-Picar suggested different relaxing routines before hitting the sack like taking a bath, praying or medication, reading or listening to relaxing music.

Another non-medical treatment is to make the sleeping environment more conducive like the room temperature, which should not be too cold or too hot while dimmer lighting will help ensure better sleep.

Above all things, the bed plays a pivotal role on the quality of sleep that it has to be so comfortable. “Having the right equipment — the right bed, the right pillow, or the right mattress — can actually help a lot,” Espiritu-Picar said.

To help the doctor-delegates, leading foam manufacturer Uratex showcased its wide array of sleeping solutions at the event’s exhibit area, with various quality mattresses available depending on specific sleeping needs.

“Right now our campaign is to have a better sleep solution. We thank the PSSMI for having us because we would like to partner with them to help increase awareness on good sleep,” said Marvey Alcantara, marketing manager of Multiflex RNC Philippines, maker of Uratex.

“As per sleep experts, good or healthy sleep will lead to a healthy and better life. So we are promoting the mattresses (in this summit) to make consumers have better quality of sleep,” Alcantara added.

Given the event’s success, Espiritu-Picar said the biennial conclave will now become an annual event.