Dentists and Sleep Issues

Dental practice exerts heavy stress on dentists and the demands of long hours of practice, exaggerates the poor quality of their sleep. Dentistry requires high levels of concentration, cognitive performance, and motor dexterity. Poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation can affect performance negatively. It can also be concluded that sleep quality plays a significant role in the performance of dentists.

Dentists should accustom themselves to healthy sleep pattern to enhance their clinical performance and avoid related health and psychological hazards. 

A random sample of 150 dentists was taken. A short pre-tested questionnaire of 15 questions was given to them. The questionnaire was designed to assess their sleep pattern and its effects on their performance. Data obtained were tabulated and statistically analyzed, and the results were obtained. Results: In this study, about 38.6% of dentists have a problem in falling asleep, in which 46% of dentists reported <8 hours of  actual sleep at night. 30% of dentists reported facing difficulty in initiating sleep.

Sanctum for Dentists and Their Patients 

Thermotherapy 

Many studies have shown that appropriate skin temperature manipulation , mainly warming, of various parts of the skin in humans can elicit a feeling of comfort and/or relaxation. 

A study using heart rate variability analysis has indicated that such favorable effects of periocular warming are attributable to acute activation of the parasympathetic nervous system . Parasympathetic activation seems to be favourable in improving sleep quality because chronic insomnia is reported to be associated with abnormal sympathetic elevation and several established treatments for insomnia may work through parasympathetic activation .

It can be postulated that parasympathetic tone associated with periocular warming before sleep in the present study might have contributed to a more comfortable psychological state at bedtime, thus influencing the participants’ subjective feelings upon awakening. As other mechanisms, it could be considered that periocular warming before sleep enhances slow wave sleep (SWS) through the thermoregulatory system and enhancements of SWS affects the endocrine or immunity system, causing subjective sleep changes.

Acupressure 

For many people, the initial and immediate reaction to poor sleeping is to reach for medication. Yet that might not always be the best choice. All medication has some side effects, and many are not recommended for long term use.

Acupressure has recently come to the fore as an alternative remedy for insomnia. Rather than simply induce sleep, it also attempts to treat some of the various causes of insomnia, like anxiety, stress and too much energy. 

Acupressure is a form of alternative therapy which has been used for thousands of years, particularly in China. A mixture of “acupuncture” and “pressure,” it’s a method in which particular points (“acupoints”) on the body are stimulated manually. This can be done with fingers, palms, elbows and feet, or specialised acupressure tools such as Sanctum.

It is based on the idea of energy flowing in particular routes (“meridians”) through the body. It’s believed that these meridians also provide a network between different organs of the body. Acupressure aims to work by clearing blockages of energy along these meridians, and can be used to treat chronic muscle pain, headaches, nausea, and sleep disorders.

How Sanctum Can Help Dentists with Sleep Issues

Sanctum is a dental relaxation device that provides a variety of therapeutic modalities including Thermotherapy, specifically at 42°C or 107°F. It also delivers Acupressure, which stretches the spindle cells and triggers a reflexive contraction. Also, with Sanctum, dentists can input audio and enjoy music therapy to help them relax and sleep. All of these three contribute to a more healthy sleep lifestyle which ultimately affects the performance of dentists.

For all of us dentists, sleep can only do us some great service to help us look after our patients better and keep our staff liking us. Sleep gives us a lot of benefits including and not limited to:

• helping you maintain or lose weight

• improving concentration and productivity

• maximising athletic performance

• strengthening your heart

• regulating sugar metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk

• preventing/eliminating depression

• supporting a healthy immune system

Get your own Sanctum Relaxation Device now to enjoy the benefits of having good sleep health.