Sleep: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

How much sleep do we really need?

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Australians are sleeping less than they used to.

But how much do we really need? And what's the impact on life and work when we're sleep deprived?

Seven tips for a Good Night's Sleep.

One recent NSW study showed that almost 1 in 5 working adults are chronically sleep deprived. And apart from feeling sleepy and grumpy the next day, these people are running a bigger risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

With a third of our workforce now working between the hours of 7pm and 7am, it's now emerging that night shift workers are putting themselves at risk of developing similar health problems to those who are sleep deprived.

The Danish Government has recently compensated 39 nurses and flight attendants who developed breast cancer after careers of working night shifts. They are currently the only government in the world who have formally recognised a link between working night shift and the onset of cancer.

Up to 1.2 million Australians suffer from a range of sleep disorders from insomnia to sleep apnoea. Join Insight and a cast of insomniacs, shift workers, teenagers, emergency workers, new mums and sleep scientists for a fascinating discussion on Sleep.

You can talk to our guests Ron Grunstein, Russell Foster and Chris Seton after the show on our Live Chat. You can also follow Insight on Twitter.

Find out more about sleep disorders with these information sheets prepared by the Australasian Sleep Association on behalf of Sleep Disorders Australia, a support group for sleep disorder sufferers and their families.

Sleep apnea
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Restless legs & PLMS

Dead Tired

SBS will be screening a two-part documentary on how lack of sleep is killing us.

Dead Tired was shot in Australia, America, Canada and England and is the first series to feature never before seen footage of what happens to a persons mind and body during chronic sleep deprivation - while cutting edge science uncovers why most of us feel sleep deprived.

Episode 1 – Wednesday May 27 @ 8.30pm
Awake is the New Sleep investigates how Sleep Deprivation causes sickness and death in today’s society.

Episode 2 - Wednesday June 3 @ 8.30pm

Planet Insomnia investigates the causes, consequences and cures for insomnia - now the world’s most common medical disorder. Tiredness has become a sinister killer that’s spreading like a pandemic through today’s 24/7 activity-driven society. Discover where the experts believe this is heading and what the solutions are.

Meet the Guests

Russell Foster

Professor Foster is a professor in ophthalmology and a senior fellow at Oxford University. His expertise is in the circadian rhythms of humans, our body's way of telling us when it's time to eat and sleep. As scientists have a better understanding of how sleep works, Professor Foster believes that within two decades the need for sleep could be turned off.

Ron Grunstein

Professor Ron Grunstein is the Head of Sleep and Circadian Research of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, an organisation that conducts research in respiratory and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnoea. A study by the institute in 2007 found that almost one-fifth of people in NSW are chronically sleep restricted, putting these people at a greater risk of developing health problems like cardio-vascular disease and diabetes.

Mark Heuston

As principal of Berengarra School in Glen Waverley, a school that caters to students with behavioral issues, Mark pushed school starting times an hour later each morning. He says he did this after hearing about the different sleeping patterns of teenagers. As a result, he saw students were better behaved and their learning improved. Having moved on from Berengarra, Mark is now the principal of Croydon Community School.

Tony Walker

Tony is in charge of clinical practice and education for Ambulance Victoria's 2,500 paramedics, who responded to 486,000 emergency cases last year. Tony says Ambulance Victoria, which provides a critical 24 hour service, is beginning to address the issues of fatigue in the workplace.

Annette Kakris

Annette is a Melbourne mother of two young children and works as a critical care nurse two nights per week. She says working two 12-hour night shifts is tough on the body but working night shifts fits in with her lifestyle and the need for extra money.

Natalija Lambert

Natalija is five years old and has been blind since the age of nine months. Natalija's mum says not being able to see light has affected her daughter's circadian rhythm and thrown out her sleeping patterns. To sleep during the night, Natalija now goes through nightly rituals - sleep cues - to let her body know it's time to sleep.