Latest news with #Eckert
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Feeling depressed or out of sorts after the weekend? You could have 'social apnoea'
It's common to feel tired and apprehensive on a Monday morning, and that can be especially true after a big weekend. New research has mapped how people's quality of sleep changes throughout the week, and has found patterns between fatigue and behaviour. It's estimated around one billion people worldwide have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that impacts their quality of sleep. Australian researchers have found this underlying condition is more prevalent on weekends than on weekdays, and they have labelled this phenomenon — 'social apnoea'. It can affect anyone, even if you don't typically show symptoms of OSA during the week. So why is that the case? 'Social jet lag' Professor Danny Eckert, a sleep health expert from Flinders University, was one of the lead researchers in the study that was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He described social apnoea as a kind of "social jet lag", a feeling that can arise after the weekend, when our behaviours often differ from those on weekdays. "We know that people who smoke tend to smoke more on the weekend. We know that people who drink tend to drink more on the weekend," he told SBS News. "They are two sort of lifestyles or social factors if you like, that are very influential in the way we sleep and breathe." Eckert said another key change in weekend behaviour is that our sleep patterns often change, which can cause problems with our sleep quality and overall mood. People who sleep in on weekends were found to have a 50 per cent higher risk of developing a sleep disorder, according to the study. "Our circadian rhythm, or our body clock, is slow to move; it takes several days to adjust," he said. "So if we suddenly change our sleep timing, and we've all experienced this at different times with jet lag and these kinds of things, we're sleeping out of whack from what our body wants us to." What are the long-term effects? Weekend surge in sleep-disordered breathing may heighten the risk of serious health conditions, according to the research. This includes heart disease, depression, dementia, and extreme fatigue. The research found people under 60 and males were two groups more likely to suffer from social apnoea. While the exact reason is unclear, Eckert said it's likely due to behavioural factors. "We know that men tend to be drinking more alcohol than women and perhaps they're having later nights and going to sleep after women," he said. "We also know that men get sleep apnoea more, so they are more prone to 'social apnoea' in the first place." Eckert said beyond seeking clinical treatment for sleep apnoea, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to combat social apnoea. In particular, going to bed and waking up at consistent times can help establish a healthier sleep pattern. "If people are feeling tired during the day, having some trouble staying asleep, or maybe they are waking up with morning headaches, maybe they're being told that they snore loudly; these are all warning signs that you may have sleep apnoea, and it's worth having a conversation with your GP."
The Age
4 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Sleeping in on the weekend? You could be triggering ‘social apnoea'
If you're struggling to get through the Monday slump, 'social apnoea' may be to blame. Published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an Australian-led team of researchers analysed global data from more than 70,000 people, finding a significant and consistent increase in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on weekends. What is obstructive sleep apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which airways are partially or completely blocked during sleep. The condition is associated with higher all-cause mortality, and if left untreated, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep that others may notice. What did this new study find? Professor Danny Eckert, director of Flinders' Health and Medical Research Sleep Health Centre and senior author on the paper, says the research was significant for its scale. Most clinical diagnoses of sleep apnoea are based on only a single night's data, usually collected on a weekday. By collecting data from participants with an under-mattress tracker, they were 'able to measure people over multiple nights, and in this case, on average using about one year's worth of data', Eckert says.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sleeping in on the weekend? You could be triggering ‘social apnoea'
If you're struggling to get through the Monday slump, 'social apnoea' may be to blame. Published Wednesday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an Australian-led team of researchers analysed global data from more than 70,000 people, finding a significant and consistent increase in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on weekends. What is obstructive sleep apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which airways are partially or completely blocked during sleep. The condition is associated with higher all-cause mortality, and if left untreated, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep others may notice. What did this new study find? Professor Danny Eckert, director of Flinders' Health and Medical Research Sleep Health Centre and senior author on the paper, says the research was significant for its scale. Most clinical diagnoses of sleep apnoea are based on only a single night's data, usually collected on a weekday. By collecting data from participants with an under-mattress tracker, they were 'able to measure people over multiple nights, and in this case, on average using about one year's worth of data,' says Eckert.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Social apnea: The new sleep disorder trend that has experts concerned
Australian researchers have identified a new sleep disorder trend, dubbed 'social apnea', potentially sparked by weekend lifestyle choices including late nights, alcohol and smoking. An international study from Flinders University found a 'consistent and significant' increase in the severity of obstructive sleep apnea on weekends, which they have attributed to lifestyle choices and irregular sleep patterns. The findings have prompted fears the true impact of sleep apnea, or sleep disordered breathing, may be underestimated, placing sufferers at greater risk of health conditions including heart disease, depression, dementia and extreme fatigue. The research, published in the prestigious American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, analysed data from more than 70,000 people. It found participants were 18 per cent more likely to have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea on Saturdays, compared to Wednesdays. Lead author Lucia Pinilla, from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute Sleep Health, said changes in sleep schedules, such as late nights or sleep ins, worsened sleep apnea. 'Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single night, typically a weeknight, missing the weekend effect we're now calling social apnea,' Dr Pinilla said. The study found sleeping an extra 45 minutes or more on weekends increased the risk of worse sleep apnea by 47 per cent. Men were 21 per cent more likely to be affected, compared to a 9 per cent increase in women. Those aged under 60 had a 24 per cent higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea on weekends. The study offers the first evidence that sleep apnea severity increases on weekends, which senior author and FHMIR Sleep Health director Danny Eckert said was significant. 'We don't yet know exactly why, but alcohol use, lighter sleep, and less consistent use of OSA therapies likely play a role,' Professor Eckert said. He said the findings highlighted the need for sleep assessments to be carried out over numerous nights. 'Relying on a single-night sleep study may miss important variations, leading to underdiagnosis or misclassification of OSA severity,' he said. To combat 'social apnea', Professor Eckert recommended a regular sleep routine and aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. 'Keeping a fixed wake-up time and using your prescribed OSA therapy, even on weekends, and going to bed when you feel sleepy will help ensure you frequently get enough restorative sleep which can help combat the weekend spike in OSA.'
Globe and Mail
11-08-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
PPG announces succession plan details of general counsel
PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced that Anne M. Foulkes, who has served as senior vice president and general counsel since 2018 and is a 30-year veteran of the company, will retire as part of a planned succession for the role. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Foulkes, 62, will serve in a new role as senior vice president, legal and special projects, to ensure a smooth transition of general counsel responsibilities and oversee certain projects for the company through August 31, 2026. 'On behalf of the PPG leadership team, I want to congratulate Anne on an outstanding career and thank her for her dedication and many contributions to PPG,' said Tim Knavish, PPG chairman and CEO. 'Anne's extensive background and experience counseling various PPG functions and business units over the years have been invaluable. Her leadership extends beyond legal counsel as a valued member of the company's operating and executive committees. She also serves as a trusted confidant and mentor to many PPG employees as well as an executive sponsor and advocate of our employee resource groups. We thank Anne for agreeing to remain a key part of the executive leadership team through August 2026.' Foulkes joined PPG in Pittsburgh in 1995, initially supporting the chemicals group on commercial and contract legal matters. Since that time, she has worked in a number of roles of increasing responsibility, including providing legal support to all of the company's business units and the environment, health and safety (EHS) function, and serving as counsel for the corporate development group, providing legal support for global acquisition and divestiture activities. In 2005, Foulkes was promoted to corporate counsel with responsibility for all commercial, antitrust, labor and employment, and intellectual property legal matters for the aerospace, architectural coatings, automotive refinish, and protective and marine coatings businesses, and in 2010, she was promoted to assistant general counsel. Foulkes was appointed assistant general counsel and secretary of the company in 2011 and then in 2016, was elected as vice president, associate general counsel and secretary. She was elected an executive officer in 2018 and named to her current role. Prior to joining PPG, Foulkes was a litigation attorney with the law firm of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott in Pittsburgh. She earned a bachelor's degree from Tufts University and a law degree from The Dickinson School of Law. Anne is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and served on the board of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank from 2011 to 2021. She currently serves on the Board of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers' biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.8 billion in 2024. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit The PPG Logo and We protect and beautify the world are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
