In Search of Lost Sleep

This blog is launched this very day in order to celebrate two events: The World Sleep Day and the 30th anniversary of CENC – Sleep Medicine Center. 

This year’s theme behind the World Sleep Day is “Good Sleep, Healthy Aging”. A fitting theme for a country where the old adults are progressively more common than the young.

With aging, the older adult’s sleep tends to worsen, which doesn’t translate to having a bad sleep when you’re old. A healthy elder sleeps well! 

What happens as one gets older? There are more medical conditions, more sleep related disturbances and sometimes more reasons for sadness, more disability, less interests and more seclusion. Put together, these separate factors will eventually lead to a bad sleep. But it does not have to be this way. A healthy elder sleeps well!

What to do? Diagnose and heal any existing condition, take care with medication, reducing if excessive (beware any sedative and hypnotic drugs taken regularly), maintain active interests and occupations, as well as sensible and regular habits, eat well and fresh, go outside and catch some sunlight, keep your brain occupied, work out a little and keep some company. 

CENC – Sleep Medicine Center’s 30th anniversary. Founded in 1983, CENC, where at first only electroencephalography was performed, has since then diversified, becoming one of the references in Sleep Medicine in Portugal. Prizing its clinical and scientific quality, and keeping the patient’s interests at heart, CENC has improved over the years and at its 30th anniversary renovates itself once more. How? By improving its installations and equipment, and creating new services. In 2013, the new Sleep Consultation for Children and Teenagers began its practice, as well as the Exercise and Pain Consultations. CENC will also renovate its website in April (www.centrodosono.com), will publish new books as well as launching this blog. 

“In search of lost sleep” is a bilingual blog (Portuguese and English), with a weekly publication, and which will have the participation of colleagues, co-workers, friends, healthcare specialists, citizens and patients. Its purpose is to help in the search for the lost pleasure of a good night’s sleep, and in search for the individual and social balance that can be found due to the enormous benefits of healthy sleep habits, alongside a sound mind and body. You may find this blog in www.insearchoflostsleep.blogspot.com.

Prof. Teresa Paiva

Lisbon, March 15th 2013.