Sleep disorders as a common social problem - selected determinants and health consequences

Abstract

Abstract Aim. The aim of the study was to analyze determinants of the sleep disorders in adults and their health consequences based on the literature review. Material and methods. The method of systematic analysis of literature was applied for the study. The literature review by keywords was based on the data from the Google Scholar web search databases, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) search engines, Arianta scientific and industry journals, and information from the years 2010-2017 available on the website. Results. Poor quality of sleep and too few sleep hours can be both a consequence and a cause of overweight and obesity. Such phenomena cause adverse changes in the endocrine system - in the form of hormonal imbalance affecting appetite, blood glucose level and the development of insulin resistance, what in turn, leads to disease development. It is, therefore, necessary to educate patients about proper sleep hygiene, reducing excessive body weight and developing healthy eating habits. Conclusions. There is a relationship between sleep disorders together with eating disorders and somatic diseases. Sleep disorders can predispose to obesity, adversely affect the carbohydrate balance, causing increased insulin resistance and increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as numerous cardiovascular diseases.