Good Sleep Is Essential for Good Health
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
Sleep is essential for good health. It is responsible for sustaining an energetic life, healing pathologies, maintaining a strong immune system and recovering from mental strain as well as physical exertion. So what happens when you just cannot get a good night’s sleep?
We spoke with Dr. Anna Pedro, an experienced general practitioner who specializes in sleep disorders and respiratory diseases at Turó Park Clinics, to find out the importance of sleep, how to get the best night’s sleep, and what to do in the onset of snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia and other sleep disorders.
The Important Interconnection between Sleep and Health
We spend about a third of our lives asleep. Most adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep every night, with children and teenagers requiring significantly more, especially when they are growing.
During this time, the body and mind have time to recharge, heal, defend us from viruses and provide energy for the following day. Our overall health, both mental and physical, is dependent on sleep.
What Are the Repercussions of a Lack of Sleep?
An insufficient amount of sleep has many repercussions including:
- Depleted cognitive and behavioral functions
- Vulnerability to mood shifts, delayed reactions and attention lapses
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Higher risk to heart disease and stroke
- Poor mental health
- And, even early death
The above list paints a bleak picture of some of the consequences of not getting enough sleep, yet it is predicted that up to a third of the population faces possible sleep deprivation. This may be due to lifestyle trends such as, long work schedules, stress, intake of caffeine and lack of exposure to darkness.
Regular check-ups with your general practitioner provide the perfect opportunity to bring up concerns about lack of sleep and can aid in early diagnosis, allowing you to adopt a preventative focus for more effective treatment in the long run.
Sleep Disorders
There are over 100 different sleep disorders and their prevention, diagnosis and treatment have evolved greatly over the recent decade. “Sleep disorder” is a general term for a collection of conditions that affect sleep quality, timing and duration that is defined as inhibiting the proper functioning in everyday life.
These disorders range in severity. They include:
- Snoring
- Sleep apnea
- Insomnia
- Restless legs syndrome
- Narcolepsy
- Central hypersomnias
- Parasomnias
These sleep disorders often exacerbate other medical problems and may be symptoms of underlying mental health issues. The best way to diagnose and treat these disorders is with a comprehensive approach. If you are concerned you have a sleep disorder, Turó Park’s multidisciplinary team will outline for you what occurs in a consultation, and some of the specific treatment options are for certain sleep disorders.
The Best Way to Get Good Sleep
The majority of the changes that you can make to ensure a deep, long and restful sleep every night are related to your lifestyle, but also nutritional habits and the prevention of pathologies.
The implementation of positive lifestyle and sleep habits are recommended as follows:
- Establish a routine for your bedtime and stick to it. This will tap into your body's ability to work as an alarm clock with a natural, healthy rhythm of life.
- Create a sleep environment with a comfortable space, constant temperature, low lighting and avoid using the space for anything other than sleeping.
- Ban technology past 21:00; this will encourage the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone) before sleeping.
- Exercise during the day; physical exertion will make you tired.
Consider consulting a nutritionist who will be able to give you advice personalized to your body and routine to encourage sleep. Nutritional DNA tests provide analytical insights into your metabolism, and will help you best shape your lifestyle habits.
What Happens in a Sleep Disorder Consultation?
As soon as you feel that your daily life is affected negatively by lack of sleep, a comprehensive assessment is advisable. Early detection of sleep disorders will help to stop their further development through adequate treatment and recovery.
In your consultation, you will first complete an interview covering your current health and medical history as well as a general physical examination. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary to provide the specialists with accurate data to help diagnosis. The most accurate tool frequently used by specialists is the performance of a sleep study using a respiratory polygraph, a continuous remote monitoring tool.
The Sleep Study: The Most Effective Sleep Monitoring Tool
The respiratory polygraph allows a nightly study to be done as you sleep between seven and 10 hours, providing accurate data for analysis. It is a portable monitor that works throughout the night to record nasal flow, snoring, thoracic-abdominal movements and blood oxygen concentration.
It is portable, easy to use and comfortable. Most importantly, it provides accurate data of your individual sleep patterns. Once executed, the sleep study provides the specific information needed for a sleep specialist to develop a plan for your recovery.
Sleep Specialists: The Team That Helps You to Sleep at Night
For each specific problem there is a highly qualified specialist that is trained in a variety of possible treatments. Here are a few examples.
ENT specialist—specializes in problems with breathing, allergies and swallowing which encompasses the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.
Nutritionist—provides personalized treatments including DNA tests to analyze your unique metabolism to work towards a routine and diet that encourages a sound sleep.
Dental treatments—dentists that are specialized in anti-snoring nightguards (a mouthpiece worn while sleeping).
Psychiatrist—specializes in mild to severe mental illnesses. Often sleep disorders and poor mental health (including stress, anxiety and depression) go hand-in-hand.
Contact Turó Park!
Highly qualified and experienced general practitioner, Dr. Anna Pedro warmly welcomes you to Turó Park Medical Center’s international clinic. Dr. Pedro approaches her patients with a holistic approach and focuses on her ability to refer you to trusted specialists, collaborating in order to offer the most comprehensive treatment possible.
- Dr. Eduardo Lehrer, ENT specialist
- Cathy Morghese, nutritionist
- Dr. Patricia Filipi & Dr. Claudia Wand, dentists specialized in anti-snoring and bruxism
- Dr. Elvira Herrería, psychiatrist
Turó Park’s doctors, dentists and specialists are all multilingual, speaking English, French, Spanish and Catalan among others. The specialists at Turó Park Clinics focus on improving your well being with their advice, treatments and professionalism in your native language.
You can book your appointment seven days a week, online or via WhatsApp: +34 651 130 683.
You can find out more about all the clinic’s services and book an appointment via the website at turoparkmedical.com and follow on Twitter: @park_turo, Facebook: @turoparkmedical, Instagram @turoparkmedical and LinkedIn.
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
