Friday, April 25, 2008
Singapore Sleep Apnea Statistics
According a obstructive sleep apnea (osa) and snoring study in Singapore conducted by the Singapore General Hospital Sleep Disorder Unit back in 1999, It is estimated that around 15% of Singapore’s population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. The estimated population of Singapore then was around 3.9 million people. In 2007, the population of Singapore was estimated to be around the 4.5 million mark. An “extrapolated amount” of the current Singapore population suffering from obstructive sleep apnea would be around 17% now. Get PDF format of Singapore's sleep apnea statistics. Assuming that the Singapore sleep apnea statistics is around that level, it’s a fairly high about of sleep apnea cases in Singapore. I believe out of this 17% a large percentage of sleep apnea sufferings would have either not being diagnosed or treated for obstructive sleep apnea (osa) or their snoring disorders which in most cases taken for granted. Many Singaporeans who suffered from snoring had the following conditions as well - An estimated 24.09% of Singaporeans suffer from loud habitual snoring affecting both men and women. 87.5% of loud habitual snorers in Singapore have an Apnea Index (AI) more than 5 and 72% of these cases complained of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) which has be attributed to many driving fatalities on the road worldwide. Another form of sleep disorder which is closely related to sleep apnea would be Narcolepsy. More statistics of Narcolepsy in Singapore can be found here. Sleep apnea and snoring disorders are not only prominent in adults.In another study done by Singapore’s Tan Tock Seng Hospital to establish sleep apnea syndrome in obese children in Singapore, It was concluded that the risk of sleep apnea is more prevalent in for obese children. The Singapore medical journal had also published a finding on habitual snoring and sleep bruxism among children and younger patients. Sleep apnea cases is increasingly becoming more prevalent especially among the adolescence. Acoording to this artcle, you should consult the doctor if your child snores. Apart from regular sleep disorders in Singapore. Singapore teenagers these days are being deprived from sleep or are suffering from lack of sleep. According to official statistics Singapore teenagers are not getting enough sleep. A poll recently conducted on 940 students in 26 secondary schools has revealed that 80% of them are getting less than eight hours of sleep on school days, while only 2.6% are getting the recommended 9 hours. The survey indicated that 66.5% of the students were up late doing homework or studying. Other late-night activities included watching tv, surfing the web or online chatting. One of the dangerous things about sleep deprivation is that you lose insight into your lack of intellectual performance. Short term side effects would be decreased peformance in terms of alertness and vigilance. It's equivalent to drink driving as it replicates the effect of being intoxicated by alcohol according to Dr Lim Li Ling, medical director and consultant neurologist at the Singapore Neurology and Sleep Centre. Even though your physical activity is not impaired, your brain functions actually does. This, in turn, can lead to a deterioration in mood. This is always why children get cranky and throw tantrums when they do not get enough sleep. Long term sleep deprivation can lead to a shorter life span. Other medication conditions that are associated with lack of sleep includes heart attacks, psychiatric problems such as depression, and chronic diseases like diabetes and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Extreme sleep deprivation can cause brain dysfunction in ways which simulate seizures or stroke. In most extreme cases individuals with severe sleep deprivation would drooping eyelids, jerky eyes and trembling hands. They might also even walk like a drunk. Research into sleep has suggested a U-shaped mortality curve. Sleeping 6 to 7 hours a night would have a greater mortality rate compared to those who get 4 to 5 hours of sleep for instance. The greater amount of sleep you achieve, the higher your mortality rates. More about getting a good night's sleep here. Labels: sleep apnea statistics |
posted by Nawin at 1:08 AM
