Members of the public will be able to get advice as to how to treat sleep apnoea in a live virtual event on World Sleep Day, March 19, 2021.
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Sleep Apnoea Specialist Nurse, Nicola Exton, will host the event at 11am next Friday and you can join using this link:
Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. Nicola will be discussing what causes this condition and how it can be treated. Symptoms include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring and restless sleep.
It is more common that you would expect as Nicola explained: “There are currently 1.5 million adults diagnosed with sleep apnoea in the UK, but research shows that between 80 to 85 per cent of people with this condition are undiagnosed.”
Created and hosted by World Sleep Society, the focus of World Sleep Day 2021 is to highlight the importance regular sleep and the attributed health benefits. Studies have shown that good sleeping habits can improve the quality of our sleep as well as improve our mood, mental wellbeing and can aid concentration.
Amy Davidson, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at NCIC, said: “We spend a third of our lives asleep - yet for most of us it falls into that strange category of things we do every day but know very little about.”
If you feel that a lack of good quality sleep is affecting your quality of life – or that of your partner – then it’s time to learn more about it by attending our event on March 19.
Getting enough sleep can have a profound impact on our daily mood and ability to function, as well as our overall physical and mental health.
Ahead of the event, you can send in your questions about sleep apnoea by emailing them to communications.helpdesk@ncic.nhs.uk
For more information visit www.worldsleepday.org
The World Sleep Society recommends the following 10 steps to achieve healthy sleep
- Fix a bedtime and an awakening time.
- If you are in the habit of taking a nap, do not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep.
- Avoid excessive alcohol ingestion 4 hours before bedtime and do not smoke.
- Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate.
- Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bed is acceptable.
- Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
- Use comfortable bedding.
- Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated.
- Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible.
- Reserve the bed for sleep and sex. Don’t use the bed as an office, workroom or recreation room.