Sleepless Nights
Most of us spend a third of our lives asleep, yet little is known about the sleep disorders that afflict millions of Britons.
"One in three people complain to their GPs about sleeping problems," says Su Pennington , who reports on the problem for tonight's Public Eye. "But doctors tend to concentrate on the primary causes, such as stress or backache, rather than the effects of lack of sleep. Most doctors spend around one hour of their entire training studying sleep, and they don't ask the right questions."
The most common affliction is sleep apnoea, which is caused by breathing difficulties. "One sufferer we came across wakes
300-400 times every night, " says Pennington. "The cost to the nation of such cases is considerable. Up to a quarter of motorway accidents are caused by fatigue, and people who are not sleeping properly often underperform at work. ProducerHilary Rosen
Editor Peter Horrocks