HOUSTON — Did you get enough sleep last night?
According to research from the National Institute of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder.
Sleep 2024, an annual joint meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, is underway at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.
5,000 scientists, doctors and sleep specialists are attending the event. Abstracts, papers, continuing education classes and more are being offered.
The exhibit floor is filled with the latest medical devices for the diagnosis of at-home sleep disorders, nondrug therapy for restless leg treatment, tried-and-true sleep apnea machines and more.
Avo offers wearable light therapy, a wellness device that looks a bit like frameless eyeglasses emitting blue light. The blue light, like the one from your phone, suppresses your melatonin but using it during the day should help you feel more awake while encouraging you to sleep more easily at night.
Poor sleep is about way more than just being grumpy.
Emerson Wickshire, PhD and American Academy of Sleep Medicine board member, said nearly 1/3 of Americans are not obtaining enough sleep. This leads to things like weight gain and obesity and even risk of stroke, heart attack, death and dementia.
“There are nearly 100 sleep disorders. The two most common are chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea which you can think of as severe snoring," he said.
Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, also a board member with AASM, adds that’s why sleep is a $50 billion a year industry if you count everything from pills to pillows.
Abbasi-Feinberg said if you could only do one thing to improve your sleep, it’d be consistency. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, including weekends.
If you've tried many hacks to get better sleep and are still struggling you should ask your doctor about sleep disorders.
The last day of the convention is June 5, 2024.