World Sleep Day 2022: Observed across the globe on March 18, 2022, with the theme “Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World”.
The day is observed annually on the Friday before the March Equinox on the Earth, when the subsolar point appears to leave the Southern Hemisphere and cross the celestial equator, heading northward as seen from Earth.
It is organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of World Sleep Society and aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders. World Sleep Day is held the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox of each year.
World Sleep Society aims to raise awareness of sleep disorders and their better understanding and prevention and reduce the burden of sleep problems on society.
It is estimated that sleep deprivation costs the US over $400 billion a year with Japan losing $138 billion, Germany $60 billion, the UK $50 billion and Canada $21 billion.
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World Sleep Day 2022: Theme
The theme for World Sleep day 2022 is ‘Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World’. This theme emphasises the importance of sleep. It is important that people have at least 7-8 hours of sleep so that their bodies can recover and the mind can unwind from the stress of a busy day.
A good night’s sleep helps the body keep cardiovascular diseases and obesity at bay. It also helps our brain function more efficiently.
World Sleep Day 2022: Objective
The key aim is to draw society’s attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medical, educational, and social aspects, which threaten the health or quality of life of as much as 45 per cent of the world’s population.
The day also aims to raise awareness regarding sleep disorders and promote their prevention and management.
World Sleep Day 2022: Quotes
- “Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Sleep is the best meditation.” – Dalai Lama
- “Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep.” – Mesut Barazany
- “Even a soul submerged in sleep is hard at work and helps make something of the world.” – Heraclitus
- “True silence is the rest of the mind- and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment, and refreshment.” – William Penn
- “Life is something that happens when you can’t get to sleep.” – Fran Lebowitz
World Sleep Day: Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are medical disorders of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Simply put, they are changes in the way a person sleeps.
Sleep disorders can affect a person’s overall health, safety and quality of life. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental, social and emotional functioning.
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What are the signs of sleep disorders?
Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular breathing or increased movement during sleep and difficulty in falling asleep.
Symptoms of sleep disorders include being very sleepy during the daytime and having trouble falling asleep at night. Other symptoms are breathing in an unusual pattern or feeling an uncomfortable urge to move while you sleep.
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Some common types of sleep disorders include:
Insomnia: This type of sleep disorder involves the inability of falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.
Sleep apnea: In this sleep disorder, one experiences abnormal patterns in breathing while sleeping. There are several types of sleep apnea.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS): This syndrome is a type of sleep movement disorder, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, which causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to move the legs while one is trying to sleep.
Sleep bruxism: It is again a sleep-related movement disorder, which involves clenching or grinding of teeth during sleep. People who have this disorder are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).
Hypersomnia: This is a kind of disorder in which a person has trouble staying awake during the day. This includes narcolepsy, a condition characterised by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day. People with a hypersomnia may fall asleep at times that are inconvenient or even dangerous, such as at work or while driving
Parasomnia: The disorder involves acting in unusual ways while falling asleep, sleeping or waking from sleep, such as walking, talking or eating.
Circadian rhythm disorders: The disorder involves problems with the sleep-wake cycle. They make one unable to sleep and wake at the right times.
