More from the Adam Cresswell article on the sleep industry. CPAP machines are now a big industry.
His article leaves a lot of hope for more locally available approaches to getting a good night’s sleep.
“Doctors recognise nearly 70 different types of sleep disorder most commonly sleep apnaea insomnia narcolepsy periodic limb movement disorder sleep rhythm disruptions caused by jet lag or shift work and sudden infant death syndrome.
Sleep apnoea is associated with a markedly elevated risk of cardiovascular disease diabetes and a number of other adverse health outcomes. Stopping breathing while asleep puts the heart under great strain increasing blood pressure and the chance of heart attacks and strokes.
One person in 20 suffers from severely disturbed sleep.
Sleep disorders were afecting more than 1.2 million people in Australia and costing the nation $10.3 billion a year.
Sleep apnoea and insomnia account for nearly 10% of workplace injuries 8% of depresssion cases 7.6% of non-work-related car crashes 2.9% of diabetes cases 1% of kidney diseases and 0.6% of heart disease cases.
CPAP devices do not cure sleep apnoea and can be difficult for patients to tolerate (and we don’t manufacture them here in Kedron Brook valley!)
The vast majority of sleep apnoea sufferers are overweight or obese and weight loss is an incredably effective treatment for the condition. (We have lots of potential for weight loss locally.)
If people have developed behavioural insomnia through bad sleeping habits there are good cognitive behavioral programs that are extremely effective.(We do have local psychologists).
Sleeping tablets have low long-term effectiveness (and we don’t manufacture them here in Kedron Brook valley).
There is a need to properly diagnose the condition and decide who needs treatment and who doesn’t.
Home sleep study providers now offer to assess a patient for possible sleep apnoea without the need for them to stay in a laboratory overnight. Medicare will only continue to cover home studies for adults from 1st November. The sleep scientist visits the patient at home on the evening of the test attaching electrodes and monitoring devices and showing them how to switch on the equipment when they go to bed. Patients have to be referred by their GP in order to qualify for a Medicare rebate. Patients are acceptible if they tick two out of ‘often tired’ ‘wake unrefreshed’ ‘depression’ and ‘wake with headache’.