Sleep and Health: A Wake-up Call
Duration: 71 minutes
Program ID: 820 | Purchase Price: $105.00 (DVD)
Sleep is as important to the human body as food and water, but most of us don’t get enough. Lack of it has a detrimental effect on our physical and mental health. It is estimated that over a million people suffer from sleep disorders of some kind, but less than 1% are properly diagnosed. This represents a significant public health issue, since sleep disorders contribute to a variety of other health and social problems, ranging from serious co-morbidities to increased workplace and traffic accidents. Health and economic costs associated with sleep disorders are estimated to be somewhere between $3 to $7 billion per year, approximately $40 million of which is spent on sleep medications.
The nature and magnitude of sleep disorders in the community suggest the need for greater awareness on the part of GPs and other health practitioners. They are in a good position to be alert to the possibilities of sleep disorder underlying other presenting problems, to educate patients on the importance of quality sleep and available treatments, and to offer targeted ‘sleep health’ promotion programs.
The program provides information on the latest research in sleep medicine; it discusses the range of sleep disorders, and the importance of early detection and diagnosis; it outlines the latest treatment options, including the appropriate use of medication, and discusses some simple screening mechanisms that can benefit practitioners and patients in rural areas. It draws attention to the medical, behavioural and social consequences of sleep disturbance, and considers strategies designed both to increase awareness of sleep disorders in the general community and to promote good sleep health. The program is of interest to GPs, psychiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and other allied health practitioners.
Program Presenters
- Chair: Dr Norman Swan - Presenter of the Health Report on ABC Radio National
- Dr Nick Antic - Sleep Physician, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, Adelaide, SA
- Dr Delwyn Bartlett - Research Psychologist, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW
- Dr Tim Peacock - General Practitioner, Tintenbar, NSW
- Dr Bandana Saini - Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW
Learning Outcomes
- understand the importance of sleep and the range of health consequences associated with poor quality sleep
- recognise the signs of sleep disorders, and make appropriate referrals
- develop appropriate management and support strategies for patients with sleep disorders
- promote the importance of good sleep hygiene and the achievement of better sleep outcomes
Broadcast Dates
This program was first broadcast on the Foundation's satellite network on Tuesday 28 October 2008.
Funding Bodies
Accreditation
This program is accredited or endorsed for CPD/CPE by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
