Olga Amato
Dr. Andreas Prasadja, said to be the country’s first sleep physician and the author of ‘Ayo Bangun!’ (‘Wake Up!’), will be one of the speakers at the TEDx event in Jakarta on Sunday.
Today, the good doctor offers My Jakarta a glimpse into the world of ‘the guy who watches other people sleep.’ He explains why snoring can be a sign of something more dangerous, how the same dream can have different meanings for different people and why the first step in fulfilling your life goals is to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
Are you nervous about speaking at TEDx Jakarta?
I’m really nervous. Hopefully I don’t put the audience to sleep with my talk. I have never considered myself a public speaker, but I am very concerned that most people still don’t take the dangers of sleep disorders seriously. For all they know, they might not even consider them disorders.
Have you been practicing in front of a mirror?
I dream about doing it every night.
Give us a quick preview of your TEDx talk.
Not many people know about how important it is to sleep correctly, so I’d like to talk about our sleep habits.
Through this talk, I want to raise awareness about how important it is to control your sleep and continue on to the consequences of sleep disorders and bad sleeping habits.
Most of the time, our everyday activities are influenced by our level of sleepiness, which is why people often take vitamins because they feel run-down. But what they don’t know is that often the only thing they need to make them feel better is a good night’s sleep. Indeed, sleep is the foundation for humans to have an optimized lifestyle.
Can you tell us about one of the most curious cases you’ve ever encountered?
I once had this patient who was eating in his sleep. Once he was asleep, he would get up, walk down the stairs, go into the kitchen, open the cupboard and make some instant noodles. The next morning he would wake up and feel curiously full. It turns out that he had sleep apnea. A a result of that, he never really slept properly, which is what caused the parasomnia.
Do you personally have any sleep problems?
I used to have high blood pressure, caused by snoring. Snoring can cause hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, stroke, depression and impotence. But now I don’t snore anymore. I control it by using a method called continuous positive airway pressure, which is also used to prevent sleep apnea.
How did your career as a sleep physician start?
It wasn’t my childhood dream to be a sleep physician. Even after I graduated from medical school I still didn’t know much about it because usually the practice of medicine stops when the patient goes to sleep, due to the assumption that patients are safe when they’re asleep. I then went to Singapore for a polysomnography, or sleep study course. I learned a lot there. Now my friends call me ‘the guy who watches other people sleep.’
People say your brain never stops working, even when you’re asleep. Does that mean we dream every night?
Yes, four to six times on average. That’s what keeps you sane. But we don’t always remember our dreams.
Can you interpret dreams?
For myself, yes. But I’m not about to start interpreting other people’s dreams. I am not an expert in dream interpretation and I believe that dreams are personal. The meaning really depends on the person experiencing it. For example, if we dream about the desert, it might mean loneliness. But if someone from the Middle East has the same dream, it might symbolize homesickness. That’s why I don’t believe in books that claim to help interpret dreams.
What do you want people to walk away with from your talk?
I don’t want to scare people. But I really want to raise awareness that sleep disorders can be lethal. For example, sleep apnea, which causes you to stop breathing while sleeping. One of the symptoms is snoring. That’s why snoring should never be underestimated, as it might be a sign of something very serious.
Dr. Andreas Prasadja was talking to Olga Amat