Do you often sleep during work? Well, if you do so, you might proudly claim yourself to be an efficient and hard worker as work stress led you to doze off. Or, you might also advise others to do the same as the practice of sleeping at workplaces for short intervals, also called as power naps, is widely believed to re-energize the body. It is not only you but also the Japanese corporations, which encourage sleeping at workplaces, as they are under the influence of dozing at workplaces improves work performances.

You might list out end-less benefits of sleeping at the workplace, but wait for a while, and ponder that—whether you are unknowingly suffering from a disease known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA)?

OSA is, in fact, a disease involving breathing disorders during sleep. The disease affects over 1 million people in the major world regions and the incident cases are on a sharp rise. In essence, OSA affected persons stop breathing periodically during sleep during the night that arises due to obstructions in the airway. Obstructions occur when muscles relax during sleep, causing the collapse of the soft tissue at the back of the throat, blocking the upper airway. The periodic airway blocking leads to partial reductions (Hypopneas) and complete pauses (Apneas) in breathing that last for at least 10 sec during sleep. Although most pauses last for 10 to 30 sec, some could persist for 60 sec or even longer. This can lead to an abrupt reduction in Oxygen in the blood. And the level of Oxygen in the blood can fall by as much as 40 percent or even more. In such a situation, the brain responds to the lack of Oxygen by alerting the body, causing a brief waking up from the sleep and the normal breathing is restored. This interruptions in sleep during night causes daytime sleepiness.

OSA is however curable. So, the next time when you see your colleagues taking peaceful power naps at their desks, advise them to consult a medical professional.

DelveInsight has in its kitty a comprehensive report, titled, “Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast-2027”, detailing the disease causes, symptoms, current and future treatments and market trends. If you are interested in purchasing the report, contact us immediately.