The sleep crisis behind overweight teenagers

In my country, 19 out of every 100 teenagers aged 6 to 17 are overweight or obese. For example, 14-year-old Zhao is 170cm tall but weighs 90kg, a typical obese teenager. He had a good appetite since he was a child, but he didn't like to exercise, and his weight kept rising.

1. Obesity triggers a sleep crisis

For obese teenagers like Xiao Zhao, the large amount of fat accumulated in the neck is the "culprit" of sleep breathing problems. Increased fat in the neck will narrow the airway, and the muscles will relax during sleep, making the already narrow airway more likely to collapse and become blocked. In their sleep, they snore loudly, and the snoring often stops suddenly, and after a while, they resume breathing with a sudden gasp. This is a typical symptom of sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Every time there is a breathing pause, it means that the body falls into a state of hypoxia, the sleep structure is severely damaged, it is difficult to enter deep sleep, and the quality of sleep is greatly reduced.

2. The harm caused by the sleep crisis

1. Impact on daily life and study: Long-term lack of sleep and hypoxia will make teenagers unable to concentrate in class, memory loss, learning efficiency dropped significantly, and grades were affected.

2. Threat to health: If sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome is not effectively treated for a long time, it will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and may even affect heart function. At the same time, it will also interfere with the body's normal metabolism and increase the probability of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

3. Response Strategies

1. Scientific weight loss: This is the key to solving the problem. Pay attention to the body mass index (BMI) (BMI = weight (kg) / height (m) squared); teenagers should adjust their diet structure and reduce the intake of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar foods. For breakfast, a glass of milk, an egg, a slice of whole wheat bread, and a piece of fruit are recommended to provide sufficient energy for study in the morning. Lunch should be a combination of meat and vegetables, and dinner should reduce the amount of staple food. Increase the amount of exercise and actively participate in school sports activities.

2. Regular work and rest schedule: Develop good sleeping habits, ensure 8-10 hours of adequate sleep every day, and go to bed early and get up early.

3. Medical intervention: For adolescents who have developed sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, doctors will recommend wearing a non-invasive ventilator to assist sleep, relieve apnea symptoms, and ensure oxygen supply during sleep.