ResMed launches new sleep education campaign, WakeUpToGoodSleep

Today, millions of Indians suffer from sleeping disorders, with the majority of them being undetected. Over one million Indians suffer from sleep apnea alone, according to a 2019 Lancet Respiratory Medicine study. Left untreated, sleeping disorders have detrimental consequences on our mental and physical well-being including heart attacks, diabetes, depression, amongst others, making it imperative to raise awareness on sleeping disorders.

The campaign aims to raise awareness amongst consumers and doctors about the health benefits and importance of good sleep. As part of the campaign, ResMed launched a short educational film that showcases sleep apnea, a relatively unknown sleep disorder, and its effects such as fatigue, mental stress, irritability, and even traffic accidents, to reiterate the importance of a good night's sleep.

To ensure patients can enjoy a good night's sleep, ResMed has also introduced a sleep coach assistant service, consisting of a team of coaches who remotely guide patients through every step of their journey to better sleep. Services include sleep apnea detection via a home sleep test, helping patients diagnosed with sleep apnea understand the treatment options available such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), and even guiding patients through hassle-free installation of devices and providing the best possible offers on devices, including EMI schemes for devices.

"As India becomes increasingly health-conscious, immense importance is given to dietary changes, daily exercises, and mental health. However, sleep as a critical contributor to their overall well-being is not given the attention it deserves", says Seema Arora – National Marketing Head, Asia and Latin America, ResMed. "The level of discourse on sleep awareness continues to remain low in a geographically expansive country like India, with only a handful of sleep labs for a population of over 1.3 billion. Through this awareness campaign, ResMed a pioneer in sleep apnea therapy, aims to spread awareness amongst Indians, including the medical community with a simple thought - 'Kyuki neend achi toh din acha', underlining how disordered sleeping impacts our overall well-being."

To also drive sleep awareness and education amongst the medical fraternity, ResMed has been conducting web-education series in association with some of the most prominent sleep experts in the country including Dr. Manvir Bhatia and her sleep society – ASSM Ace School of Sleep Science and Dr. Sujit Rajan, amongst others. Since May 2020 ResMed has certified over 700 doctors across India as part of the education awareness drive.

"Five to ten percent of Indians suffer from a sleep disorder but are unaware of it and its impact on their health," said Dr. Manvir Bhatia, a leading sleep specialist in India. "We spend one-third of our lifespan sleeping, highlighting that its purpose goes beyond regular rest. It allows the body to heal, essentially contributing to one's overall physical mental, and emotional well-being. It is increasingly important to drive sleep awareness so that everyone considers sleep health as an important factor for overall wellbeing and recognise the association with other medical disorders. The awareness can be achieved with training sessions for doctors, public awareness campaigns, and sleep coach assistance. These measures will create an impact on the importance of good quality sleep," she added.

As social distancing continues to be imperative, ResMed's innovative and connected sleep solutions are enabling doctors and patients better patient care outside the hospital. More than 12 million cloud-connectable devices in its network are allowing doctors to remotely monitor their patients, who in turn can share their health-related data and undergo diagnosis to treat their sleeping disorders.