National Sleep Awareness Week- A Wake-Up Call For Those Who May Not Be Getting A Good Night's Sleep

Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 04 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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When you turn your clocks ahead one hour on March 9th, turn your attention to how well you sleep. Do you have sleep apnea?

When Daylight Saving Time returns this Sunday, many Canadians will find it hard to adjust to losing one hour of sleep. But for the thousands of Canadians who suffer from sleep apnea and don't know it, the absence of a good night's sleep comes with serious health risks.

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that causes your breathing to stop repeatedly while you sleep. One out of 25 Canadian men and one in 50 women suffer from sleep apnea.

Many people have sleep apnea but don't know it. Many go undiagnosed and untreated, which can lead to serious health problems.

"If you have sleep apnea you are up to seven times more likely to have a car crash. You are three times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. You are also more likely to have hypertension, depression and diabetes," says Dr. John Fleetham, a respirologist who is chair of the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) Sleep Disordered Breathing Committee. The CTS is the medical society of The Lung Association.

Many people who have sleep apnea may be unaware that they do. "According to the Canadian Lung Association, the average patient waits seven years between the onset of symptoms to the time they are referred to a specialist for assessment. So if you think you may have some of the symptoms, don't wait. Talk to your doctor about it" says Fleetham.

Learn about the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.

The Lung Association