Imagine dozing off in public, especially during meetings. You could be branded as a “lethargic” person who lacks social manners.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has faced this criticism after he dozed off on the floor of the Legislature, has openly admitted that he suffers from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common sleep disorder.
Doctors say that nearly two lakh people in Bengaluru suffer from some kind of sleep disorder.
H.B. Chandrashekar, director of Jain Institute of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, sees at least 70 patients a month. He says that patients diagnosed with OSA suffer from narrowness of the upper respiratory track, which makes it difficult for them to breathe.
Dr. Chandrashekar, who is also a fellow of the Indian Sleep Disorder Association, says those suffering from OSA wake up several times in the night as the oxygen level declines owing to obstruction of the airway.
G.T. Subhas, Senior Consultant (Neurology) at Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute, says it is important to maintain regular food habits, consume adequate water and avoid afternoon nap for a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation, apart from affecting one’s efficiency at work, could lead to cognitive impairment, increased fatigue and irritability, and is also linked to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders and immune dysfunction, he says.
(Reporting by
Afshan Yasmeen)
