17/03/2023
World Sleep Day 2023
Today, March 17, 2023 is World Sleep Day. The slogan for this year is “Sleep is Essential for Health”. Just like eating well and exercising, sleep is a behavior that is foundational to one’s physical, mental, and social well-being.
What is World Sleep Day?
Created and hosted by World Sleep Society, World Sleep Day is an internationally recognized event that builds connections and raises sleep health awareness among researchers, health care workers, patients, and the public. Participants from each of these stakeholder groups organize sleep health awareness activities in their local clinics, institutions, companies, and communities.
Key Messaging for World Sleep Day 2023
Key Message 1: Healthy sleep is more than simple duration.
Three elements of good quality sleep are:
* Duration: The length of sleep should be sufficient for the sleeper to be rested and alert the following day.
* Continuity: Sleep periods should be seamless without fragmentation.
* Depth: Sleep should be deep enough to be restorative.
Key Message 2: Sleep is a pillar of human health.
The World Health Organization defines “health” as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Decades of research have demonstrated the significance of sleep for physical, mental, and social well-being.
Sleep is essential to health. It is a critical pillar of health, like nutrition and physical activity.
* Sleep helps support memory and learning.
* Sleep helps clear waste from the brain and promote brain health.
* Sleep supports brain health, and brain health supports sleep.
* Sleep supports immune health, and immune health supports sleep.
* Sleep helps the immune system to clear bacteria and viruses.
* Sleep helps to recycle old cells and maintain our bodies and energy levels.
* Sleep health is unevenly distributed across populations and is an important target for improving health equity.
Poor sleep health can have multiple significant impacts on human health.
* Poor sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality.
* Poor sleep can lower immune response, creating greater susceptibility to infections that further reduce sleep quality.
* Certain sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder are associated with cognitive impairment, dementia, risk of seizures, and increased risk of stroke.
* Poor sleep can result in reduced reaction times, impaired judgment, and cognitive impairment similar in effect to alcohol intoxication.
* Drowsiness can impair safe driving even if the driver does not fall asleep.
The European Academy of Neurology and World Health Organization have recognized the importance of sleep to brain health. In 2022, the American Heart Association added sleep to its list of eight essential factors for cardiovascular health.
(Source: https://worldsleepday.org)
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