Anil, 47, (name changed), a corporate executive who led a demanding, fast-paced lifestyle, had gained 5-6 kg over time and was slightly overweight. One and a half years ago, he consulted the doctor mainly for poor sleep and fatigue and was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. A simple outpatient scopy examination to evaluate the airway showed blockages in the nose and palate-throat area that led to obstruction during sleep. Anil, however, did not take out time from his busy schedule and it was only when the condition worsened that he decided to undergo the brief minimally non-invasive procedure a few months ago.

“Like many patients, he was partly in denial and attributed his fatigue simply to sleepless nights, without realising that the underlying cause was sleep apnea. As Anil’s family began to understand the potential dangers of untreated sleep apnea, he decided to proceed with treatment. These are relatively simple, non-invasive procedures that take only a few minutes but must be performed under proper protocols in an operating theatre with appropriate precautions,” Dr Seemab Shaikh, founder national president of the Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnea, said.

Anil also lost weight due to lifestyle changes and post intervention, sleeps a lot better. “With improved quality of sleep his performance at work has also improved,” Dr Shaikh said and, on the occasion of World Sleep Day (March 13), emphasised that there is a dramatic effect when one’s sleep quality improves. “People do not realise that snoring is a very strong indicator of obstruction in the airway and people are unnecessarily worried that it would require a major surgical intervention. However OSA is one of the most common causes of sleep disorders. The incidence is continuously rising due to sedentary lifestyle, work pressure and other issues,” Dr Shaikh said.

Rise in cases of sleep deprivation

“In the last five years, the number of patients with sleep deprivation related issues has doubled,” Dr Shaikh said and pointed out that there was a need for a clear message. “This year’s theme for World Sleep Day is Sleep Well, Live Better. Sleep is an integral part of health and disturbed sleep has an adverse effect on almost every system of the body including your brain, thinking capacity and ability to make decisions, inability to control high blood pressure among others,” Dr Shaikh explained.

Dr Manvir Bhatia, vice president of Indian Society for Sleep Research, said that their tagline was “Sleep loss is injurious to your health”. “We need more awareness on this very important pillar of good health and as part of our activities are also connecting with pilots, school children and others to focus on improving sleep quality,” Dr Bhatia said. She also agreed that there has been a rise in the number of patients at the OPD with sleep deprivation. “It has been across all ages, be it lifestyle related problems or issues about work, there has been almost an almost two-fold increase in the number of people seeking solutions to lack of sleep,” Dr Bhatia said. According to Dr Neeraj Rayate, consultant robotic laparoscopic bariatric surgeon at Jupiter Hospital, obesity is a major risk factor for OSA causing upper airway collapse, intermittent hypoxia and poor sleep quality leading to day somnolence and said it was vital that these factors are addressed.

24/7 lifestyle

Dr Shambhavi Joshi, who is in charge of the Sleep Lab at Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital and Research Centre also flagged concern about the 24/7 lifestyle, paired with prevalent use of electronic devices and social media. “We have forgotten to switch off or disconnect. It seems as if we have lost touch with our innate need to sleep. We are going to bed later, but not getting up any later to match,” Dr Joshi said adding that it was creating a sleep deprived population who seems to believe that our need for sleep can reduce to fit in our busy lives. “Sleep is not a luxury. It is a necessity for optimal human functioning and survival. According to research, more than one-third of Indians have severe sleep problems and the disease burden for sleep disorders is huge among our population,” Dr Joshi said. She recalled the case of a youth in his early 20s who was unable to sleep and had cognitive concerns and expressed concern that inadequate sleep has been normalised to such an extent that people don’t realise this can lead to serious health issues. “One must practice good sleep hygiene to get good quality sleep,” she added.