Back to Swiss Sleep Day 2017

On March 16 and 18, the CENAS sleep center organized the first Swiss Sleep Day to raise awareness among young and old of the importance of quality sleep. The theme of this year’s event was sleep apnea, a condition still little known to the general public. Here’s a detailed look back at Swiss Sleep Day, which attracted health professionals and private individuals alike.

Swiss Sleep Day: first edition in Geneva

In a region where over a third of the population complains of poor sleep, a day dedicated to sleep and sleep disorders did not go unnoticed. The day had several objectives, including raising awareness and informing the population of Geneva of the importance and role of sleep on health.
Throughout the day, CENAS offered people the chance to test their risk of suffering from sleep apnea, the most common disorder in our society. During the day, over 400 apnea diagnoses were made using the Lausanne NoSAS Score, some with surprising and unexpected results. Using 5 precise criteria (age, weight, height, neck circumference and presence of snoring), the test generates a score ranging from 0 to 17 points. The risk of suffering from sleep apnea is considered high above a NoSAS score of 8 or more.
With over 800 visitors to the two stands during the day, the experience attracted men and women alike, from 17 to 82 years of age!

The HypnoLaus conference

The public awareness day organized by CENAS was preceded by a conference given by two sleep specialists from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV): Prof Dr Heinzer and Dr Haba-Rubio.

The objective

To present the results of the HypnoLaus study, conducted among more than 2,000 Vaud residents between 2009 and 2013, to some 100 Geneva doctors. The study revealed that nearly half of men and a quarter of women over 40 suffer from recurrent sleep apnea (more than 15 awakenings per hour of sleep). The first part of the conference presented the findings of this study. The second part was dedicated to nocturnal respiratory disorders in the HypnoLaus population.

CENAS is delighted to have initiated the first Swiss Sleep Day, which was a great success. The entire CENAS team would like to thank all the Geneva residents who took the time to visit the various stands, as well as the many doctors who attended our conference. We look forward to seeing you again next year!