Britain's nation of unintentional nappers

Three quarters of Brits (75%) have fallen asleep without meaning to and 16 per cent even admit to secret napping'

With over 3.4 million undiagnosedi obstructive sleep apnoea sufferers in the UK, Philips Respironics uncovers more about the state of the nations' sleep, lifting the lid on the warning signs that are often being ignored

October 27, 2017

London, United Kingdom - As the clocks go back this weekend, a new survey reveals that three quarters of Brits (75%) have unintentionally fallen asleep or napped in the daytime, with 16 per cent even admitting to having a snooze in secret.

Philips Respironics, a global leader in sleep and respiratory care explores our relationship with sleep to raise awareness of the sleep condition obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), of which there are over 3.4 million undiagnosed sufferers in the UK[i], which can have both short-term and long-term health consequences if left untreated.

Sleep is crucial to our health and wellbeing, yet as a nation we are not getting the recommended seven to nine hours a nightii, as the survey reveals we get on average 6.3 hours sleep a night, and almost a fifth of people (19%) get less than five hours sleep. Unsurprisingly, over a quarter of people (26%) are unhappy with the amount of sleep they get.

The benefits of daytime napping are well documented but excess sleepiness is leading some to fall asleep without intending to or even napping in secret. A whopping two thirds of people (66%) have found their partner asleep without intending to, leading to 14 per cent of couples arguing. Most commonly Brits find themselves unknowingly falling asleep when watching TV and the most popular place for a sleep on the sly' is in a meeting room at work (24%).

Troublingly, not enough people are concerned about the potential health risks napping can flag, with only six per cent agreeing they are concerned about their partner's health. Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea include excessive sleepiness during the day, loud and persistent snoring and gasping for air during sleep. The survey shows that a third of people (34%) are disrupted by a partner or family member snoring during the night. After been disrupted by their partner's sleep, a third (33%) have resorted to kicking or nudging them and almost one in three (30%) have even gone to sleep in a different room.

Despite the disruption partners' experience, there is a worrying lack of concern over health conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, which goes undiagnosed because the symptoms are often overlooked or dismissed. This condition causes the upper airway to become unstable and collapse during sleep with reduced or no airflow. It is associated with many other health conditions and risks such as Type 2 Diabetes and three times greater risk of stroke.iii

Lack of sleep can have detrimental effects during the day, as over half of people (52%) admit to being more irritable, almost a quarter (24%) make unhealthy food choices and almost one in five (17%) make mistakes at work. As a result of poor sleep, a fifth of people (19%) suffer morning headaches, wake up with a very sore or dry throat, 17 per cent experience forgetfulness and 11 per cent a decreased interest in sex. These could all be indicators of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Tom Kelly, Clinical Services Manager, Philips Respironics says If you recognise these symptoms in yourself, partner or family member it's important you go see your GP who will be able to advise on whether you need to be referred to a sleep specialist. Our personalised sleep therapies make it easy for people to rediscover their confidence and freedom and restore the ability to sleep naturally.

Our technology and innovations support care at home and connect those suffering from OSA with healthcare professionals. We understand the importance of technology to help patients. Currently only 7 per cent of people have used connected care technology to monitor sleep habitsiv and we'd like to see this increase to support more people.

DAYTIME:

NIGHTTIME:

Poor memory

Loud snoring

Morning headaches

Noisy and laboured breathing

Reduced energy and motivation

Nocturia (the need to wake and pass urine at night)

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Loss of libido

Dream Family Suite to Support Improved Therapy Adherence for People Living with Sleep Apnoea

The Philips Dream Family is a personalised system designed to help people better manage their sleep apnea. It includes DreamStation, a sleep therapy system; DreamWear, a minimal contact nasal mask; and the DreamMapper app and website, designed to assist people living with sleep apnoea to improve treatment.

Karen Danville from Hull was one of the first people to benefit from DreamMapper in the UK, stating; I check DreamMapper every morning as I wake up to see how much therapy time I have had and how good my mask fit was. It also has some helpful information about sleep apnoea. I would highly recommend this app to all my fellow sleep apnoea sufferers. I love it.

To find out more about sleep and respiratory care please visit https://www.philips.co.uk/healthcare/consumer/sleep-apnea

Sleep Campaign Infographic

For further information, please contact: Barbara Neate, Head of Integrated Communications

Philips UKI

Tel: +44 (0)7771 814 778

E-mail: Barbara.neate@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving peoples health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health

LINK:	https://www.philips.co.uk/a-w/about/news/archive/standard/news/press/2...
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