Heavy eyelids, yawning and stinging eyes are recognizable signs of a desire to sleep. Medically speaking, this need to sleep is called somnolence (sleepiness). In 2023, Bioprojet launched the Info Somnolence website, entirely dedicated to sleep disorders: sleep apnea, hypersomnia, parasomnia and insomnia\u2026<\/p>\n
Sleepiness, when it occurs at the wheel, causes one third of fatal road accidents. This symptom, which is common in patients suffering from sleep apnea, continues to persist in 13% of them, even if a positive pressure treatment (CPAP) is used. However, this symptom is not always reported to the treating physician. The cause and associated risks are often underestimated and linked to various apprehensions such as the fear of losing one\u2019s job. The reasons can be multiple, hence the importance of an adapted and customized treatment. The Info Somnolence site will help you to see things more clearly.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the information on the new Info Somnolence website, you can now distinguish, for example, two symptoms that should not be confused: fatigue and sleepiness. Dr. Marc Sap\u00e8ne, president of the Alliance Apn\u00e9es du Sommeil explains: \u201cFatigue is the difficulty to maintain a performance, it is manifested by muscular pains, staring, stiffness of the neck. Sleepiness is the difficulty to stay awake, with a risk of falling asleep; it is due to a lack or poor quality of sleep. Its only natural treatment is to sleep, while fatigue will be corrected by rest.<\/p>\n
A person suffering from sleepiness increases his or her risk of road accidents, work-related injuries, reduced performance and increased absenteeism. Dr. Marc Sap\u00e8ne explains: \u201cPeople don\u2019t realize the seriousness of sleepiness. People who work as crane operators, airplane pilots or security managers, for example, are not only putting themselves at risk, but also, by the nature of their profession, putting the lives of others at risk.<\/p>\n
The riskiest situation remains driving. According to data from the Road Safety, sleepiness caused nearly one third of fatal road accidents. Moreover, for people suffering from sleep apnea, the risk of a traffic accident increases 5 times more than for the rest of the population.<\/p>\n