Sleep is a
physiological process that occupies a third of our life span. It is an
active state important for renewing our mental and physical health each
day.
Common
symptoms of Sleep Disorders are:
-
Excessive
sleepiness during the day,
-
Poor sleep
at night (delayed sleep onset, early morning awakening and frequent
awakenings during the night, not feeling fresh on waking up) and
-
Abnormal
behavior (sleep talking, sleep walking, violent acts, etc) at night
-
Loud
snoring in sleep.
An untreated
sleep disorder can reduce daytime productivity; increase risk of
accidents and risk for illness and even early death.
-
The
presence of loud snoring particularly if accompanied with pauses is
a potential risk factor for high blood pressure, cardiovascular
disease, brain and heart attacks, Diabetes, obesity, and is a major
cause of road traffic accidents.
-
Sleep
disorders not only adversely affect physical health but mental health as
well. Personality changes, memory loss, limited attention span, poor
judgment and lethargy may all be signs of a sleep disorder.
-
In addition,
sleep disturbance can lead to inattention, hyperactivity, and is a
contributing factor to poor scholastic performance in children.
-
The disorders
have protean manifestations and therefore are seen by specialists of
various fields - e.g. ENT, Cardiology, Psychiatry, Chest Medicine,
Pediatrics, etc.
Sleep
disorders not only adversely affect physical health but mental health as
well. Personality changes, memory loss, limited attention span, poor
judgment and lethargy may all be signs of a sleep disorder.
In addition,
sleep disturbance can lead to inattention, hyperactivity, and is a
contributing factor to poor scholastic performance in children.
The disorders
have protean manifestations and therefore are seen by specialists of
various fields - e.g. ENT, Cardiology, Psychiatry, Chest Medicine,
Pediatrics, etc.
However, all
departments work together, as this is a multi-disciplinary specialty.
The evaluation
of a patient with sleep disorders requires an assessment by a specialist
in sleep disorders, and (if required) followed by an overnight sleep
study. (Link to sleep study on next page).
The department
of Sleep Medicine at SGRH offers a Comprehensive and multidisciplinary
approach, to handle all disorders related to sleep. It has qualified
sleep disorder specialists who work in extensive collaboration with
cardiologists/ ENT/ Chest physicians/ psychologists and surgeons dealing
in morbid obesity
There is a
2-bedded Sleep Laboratory where overnight diagnostic sleep studies, CPAP
titration and Multiple Sleep Latency tests are performed.
The department
is actively involved in research, and has conducted trial project
"Determining the prevalence of sleep disorders in our
country".
Ongoing
projects:
-
Sleep disorders in Children
-
Insomnia & its
correlation with PIP
