MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life for up to 45 percent of the world's population. One billion people worldwide suffer from sleep apnea - a condition that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep - more than 80 percent of whom go undiagnosed. Today, Beddr, the sleep health technology startup, announced its participation in World Sleep Day® on March 15, 2019 to bring awareness to disorders like sleep apnea.
The 12th annual World Sleep Day, created and hosted by World Sleep Society, will bring researchers, health professionals and patients together to recognize sleep and its important impact on our health. Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep causing our airway to narrow so much that it briefly closes off completely. This disrupts breathing and may reduce the level of oxygen in the blood. Sleep apnea has been linked to many health issues, including irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart attack and stroke. A lack of deep, restorative sleep can also impair attention and short-term memory.
"Sleep apnea is an incredibly common yet largely undiagnosed disorder, which can affect populations across all age groups and genders," said Mike Kisch, CEO and co-founder of Beddr. "This World Sleep Day, Beddr is increasing awareness to those affected by sleep apnea, providing a roadmap for people to learn how to manage this disorder, as well as emphasizing ways to improve the quality of their sleep in the long term. Promoting positive sleeping habits will have life-long benefits in managing apnea as well as reducing risks for developing additional chronic health conditions."
Sleep disorders span generations, genders and geographies
Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable, yet less than one-third of sufferers seek professional help. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 54 million people in the United States alone, and the deficits it can create are far-reaching, varying cognitive, emotional, job, and school-related performance issues. Sleep disorders impact different populations as a result of lack of access to care and resources.
- Women are more likely to go undiagnosed for sleep apnea: men are twice as likely to have sleep apnea than women, however, men are often diagnosed with sleep apnea almost eight times more often than women. While apnea is commonly associated with men, many women quietly suffer from this disorder and can be in otherwise great health. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women globally - and sleep can be a large factor.
- Lack of sleep affects marginalized communities the most: areas of high poverty and limited awareness/access to sleep solutions (such as the high cost of sleep clinics and sleep tests), are more likely to have high prevalence of sleep disorders, which is often compounded by various factors like economic stability or access to healthy food. Lack of access to resources that will help you understand key insights into your sleep as well as how to improve your overall quality are limited in these areas, which increases the prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders.
- Emphasizing sleep across the generational divide: younger generations are focusing more on fitness but less on their sleep. Older populations recognize the value of sleep and learn to prioritize it more as they age. It's important to demonstrate good sleeping habits as well as understand how missing hours of sleep can affect long-term health, which can contribute to inflammation, heart problems and more.
"Sleep apnea is the second most common sleep disorder after insomnia. With insomnia, it's easier to recognize when you don't get quality sleep but becomes more mysterious when you're dealing with a disorder like apnea," said Kisch. "Sleep apnea remains largely under-diagnosed across the globe, and it's time to bring greater awareness to the underlying issues lack of sleep can cause for long-term health. Because sleep is a prevalent global issue, it's essential to not only keep up with healthy lifestyle habits, but advocate for change in the broader healthcare system. Increasing access and affordability to resources like clinical sleep tests is key, as patients should have more autonomy over their health through data and insights, being able to find care from a doctor at their own convenience."
Small lifestyle changes can create a large impact on sleep quality
Long-term, pathological sleep apnea has been linked to a wide variety of health issues and chronic conditions, including irregular heartbeat, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and depression. Speaking with a sleep specialist or a board-certified doctor well-versed in sleep disorders is the first step in learning more about how sleep apnea specifically affects you, as well as the wide array of treatments available.
Treatment for sleep apnea in the field of sleep medicine varies, and usually include some kind of lifestyle change, such as losing weight, sleeping in a different position, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine, obtaining a special breathing device designed to keep your airway open, or wearing a special mouthguard that helps keep your airway more open while you sleep.
One of the healthiest, most helpful first steps you can take when it comes to your sleep health is learning the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. With a little education, help from a medical professional, and a desire to take control of your sleep health, you can glean greater insight into your long-term health.
"Getting good quality and quantity of sleep is one key to aging well, improving the odds of physical, cognitive, and emotional health," said Timothy I. Morgenthaler, MD, professor of medicine and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine. "Getting good sleep in young adulthood and middle age reduces the risk of obesity and hypertension, protects against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's Disease, and has been associated with decreased rates of depression. In some studies, regular sleep has even been associated with fewer signs of aging in facial skin and better tissue tone. Look better, feel better, be better. There is a lot to be said for giving good quality sleep a high priority in our daily lives."
2019 Slogan: Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging
World Sleep Day 2019 will incorporate the slogan, 'Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging,' intended to emphasize the importance of sleep in overall health at any age. This focus is purposefully broad in meaning, surrounding the message that quality of life can be improved with healthy sleep. Conversely, when sleep fails, health declines, decreasing quality of life. Sound sleep is a treasured function and one of the core pillars of health. World Sleep Society has compiled ten tips for healthier sleep. These recommendations for children and adults can be viewed on worldsleepday.org under resources.
About World Sleep Society
World Sleep Day is organized by World Sleep Society, an international association whose mission is to advance sleep health worldwide. World Sleep Society hosts a biennial scientific congress on sleep medicine aiming to globally connect sleep professionals and researchers to advance current knowledge on sleep. A job board has also been created for sleep medicine professionals on http://www.worldsleepsociety.org. Follow the excitement on Twitter @_WorldSleep and facebook.com/WASMF.
About Beddr
Beddr is a health technology company with a mission to improve the quality of life for millions of individuals through the first integrated, digital approach to understanding and improving sleep. Founded by a team of successful digital health entrepreneurs with proven track records of creating new markets and rapidly scaling successful companies, Beddr is an alumnus of Stanford StartX and endorsed by top experts in sleep medicine. Its first product, SleepTuner, is the first FDA-registered sleep wearable that pairs clinical-grade data with personalized recommendations to improve sleep. Based in Mountain View, Calif., Beddr was founded in 2016. For more information, visit http://www.beddrsleep.com.
SOURCE Beddr
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