'"We've helped around 700 patients with various sleep disorders like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and unusual sleep events." Picture: iStock
This month, the Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic in Johannesburg celebrated its first anniversary as a leading sleep diagnostic, research, and training centre—the first of its kind in the country.
Dr Alison Bentley, a sleep expert and medical doctor at the clinic, reflected on their successful first year, noting, “It’s been exciting and productive. We’ve helped around 700 patients with various sleep disorders like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and unusual sleep events.”
She explained that their overnight testing process has been working smoothly, providing valuable data for both insured and uninsured patients.
Looking ahead, Bentley shared plans to expand their services to public sector patients while continuing their efforts in research and medical training.
Currently, they are training 30 MSc students in pediatric neurodevelopment and have partnered with Wits University’s Neurology and Family Medicine departments for upcoming research and training projects.
Additionally, the clinic has launched a virtual weekly academic meeting for healthcare professionals to review patient data.
One of their first research projects focuses on sleep apnea in women undergoing HIV treatment. Over the next year, the clinic hopes to explore more cost-effective apnea treatments and study patterns in general practice patients.
Poor sleep during times of extreme work stress is often linked to burnout. This could be due to either poor sleep quality or not getting enough sleep.
While people may blame their nights awake on work stress, it could actually be caused by sleep disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea.
Daytime tiredness from any of these conditions can be mistaken for early signs of burnout, said Bentley.
Since about 40% of adults are expected to have some form of sleep apnea and 10% suffer from chronic insomnia, it’s important to diagnose and treat these disorders.
One major cause of insomnia is a condition called insomnia disorder, where people struggle to get to dreamland without a clear reason. This condition often continues due to anxiety and racing thoughts before bedtime.
According to Bentley research shows that thinking about work outside of work hours is closely tied to burnout, and this type of worry also increases the risk of insomnia. Many people work late into the night and try to go to bed right after, which makes it harder to fall asleep and shortens their sleep time.
When a night’s rest doesn’t provide the usual recovery, people end up feeling tired and drained during the day, even without burnout. Because fatigue is a key symptom of burnout, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two causes.
Once burnout starts, sleep tends to get worse for people with burnout compared to those without it. Burnout can lead to more frequent wake-ups during the night, and fragmented, less deep, and more light sleep, all of which reduce the body’s ability to recover during rest.
It’s crucial to improve sleep during recovery from burnout. Poor sleep can slow down recovery and increase the chance of not returning to work for up to two years. People who get better rest treatment tend to return to work more quickly. That’s why it’s important to identify and treat any disorders during burnout recovery.
When work stress is affecting your rest, it’s important to focus on improving your sleep habits. If poor sleep was an issue before burnout, consider checking for sleep apnea. If you have insomnia first, get it evaluated to see if it needs specific treatment.
When you’re working late into the night, try to ensure you get a good night’s rest. Give yourself at least an hour after finishing work to wind down before bed. Close your laptop and let work-related thoughts pass. Then distract yourself by reading a book or watching a short TV show.
Start preparing for bed 30 minutes before getting into bed. Slow things down, go to the bathroom, change into your pyjamas, brush your teeth, etc. Once in bed, find something to focus on that takes your mind off work. This will help you get sleepy and fall asleep more easily. A good night’s sleep will help you perform better during the day. It will also reduce work stress, rather than feeling more stressed due to underperforming from lack of rest.
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