ROCHESTER, Minn., March 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Constantly reaching for the snooze button? Perpetually pouring another cup of coffee? Always dreaming of a good night's sleep? Stop yawning because today is the day to DREAM BIG and take back your sleep!
Friday, March 18, 2016, World Sleep Day 2016 will be celebrated all over the globe. World Sleep Day (WSD) is an annual event that calls to action important issues related to sleep using collaborative efforts energized by sleep professionals all over the world. The focus of WSD is to bring cognizance to the many burdens of sleep problems. WSD publicly displays efforts being taken toward prevention and management of sleep disorders.
This year's theme, "Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream", is purposefully broad in meaning surrounding the message that sleep maladies can be ameliorated, but recognition has to come first, emphasizing the importance of overall health and well-being. Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable, yet less than one-third of sufferers seek professional help. This year's slogan encompasses both adult and pediatric themes, as well as topics of insomnia and hypersomnia, parasomnias, and circadian dysrhythmias.
Delegates from around the world spread sleep issue awareness locally by hosting special events including public lectures and workshops, appear on local television and radio shows, create and distribute booklets, pamphlets, promotional videos, and press releases on sleep. Delegates have also hosted interactive school events for children and their parents and translate WSD material into foreign languages.
EL Salvador will be featuring Dr. Antonio Culebras, co-chair of WSD, presenting on a variety of programs focused on launching sleep medicine in Central America. Dr. Culebras' topic of speech includes sleep apneas, sleep habits, and World Sleep Day 2016.
Westin Hotels and Resorts have become a supporter of WSD because ensuring a good night's sleep for their guests around the world is their #1 priority. In collaboration with World Sleep Day, Westin properties throughout Asia Pacific have lined up activities to reinforce the importance of sleep to guests and consumers. Westin has committed to partner in guests' well-being before, during, and after each stay. Sleeping well is a key pillar to health. To ensure their guests leave feeling better than when they first arrived, Westin states, "nothing restores mind and body like restful sleep".
World Sleep Society and the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) have collaborated to launch a sleep directory aiming to globally connect healthcare professionals and patients in their search for sleep experts. This joint project is currently enrolling healthcare providers at sleepdirectory.org. According to Dr. Diego Garcia-Borreguero, President of the IRLSSG, "the directory will enhance collaboration among RLS researchers and clinicians providing a communication platform for broad networking between professionals and the public worldwide".
Additionally, Portugal, for the fourth year in a row, will coordinate a sleep day symposium, "From Early Signs to Dangerous Times" hosted by Soerad Hospital featuring the Portuguese Society of Hypertension.
Other activities from around the world can be viewed online. Get involved and submit your activity at http://worldsleepday.org/submit-your-activity.
Sound sleep is a treasured function and one of the core pillars of health. When sleep fails, health declines, decreasing quality of life. According to Carlos H. Schenck, M.D., sleep and dream researcher and author from the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center and the University of Minnesota, the recollection of dreams is not necessary for obtaining optimal quality of sleep. For many people dreaming can be very beneficial for the sheer enjoyment, for creativity, or to help solve problems. Most people have about four cycles a night of Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) Sleep, which is the sleep stage with the most vivid and prolonged dreaming with plot development. Dr. Schenck states, "People should not have to live with poor sleep. Assess your lifestyle and daily habits, including the use and timing of caffeine and alcohol, evening activities and the presence of stress, in order to identify what can be modified to obtain better sleep". Additional information about dream and sleep disorders can be found within a question-and-answer session at www.worldsleepday.org.
World Sleep Society has developed ten specific recommendations on how to obtain a healthy restorative sleep. Simple recommendations include watching what you eat and drink, exercising, and limiting activities before bedtime. These recommendations for children and adults can be viewed online www.worldsleepday.org/resources.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
World Sleep Day is organized by World Sleep Society, an international association whose mission is to advance sleep health worldwide. Start your journey toward quality sleep by visiting us at www.worldsleepsociety.org. Sponsors of 2016 World Sleep Day include Westin Hotels and Resorts, JellyCoe, and Sleep Radio.
Westin Hotels & Resorts has been an industry innovator renowned for offering a quality night's sleep "on the road, at home, and in the air". The brand's commitment to be a partner in the well-being of travelers and promote sound slumber has led to wellness programs that are designed to promote rest and recovery. http://westin.com/wellness
JellyCoe is the designer and producer of playful, trendy, and qualitative nightwear, and accessories for babies, children, and adults. The collections have been put on the market under the brands Woody, Lords&Lilies and Manned. www.jellycoe.be
Sleep Radio is an internet-only radio station that broadcasts live from New Zealand. Its playlists consist only of non-vocal, soft, downbeat ambient, and easy-listening music to help people with insomnia get to sleep. The station has a free app for mobile devices which comes with a sleep timer. www.sleepradio.co.nz
SOURCE World Sleep Society
Share this article