Breakthrough Sleep Device

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Having your body fitted out in a suit of armor, robotic parts or undergoing surgeries to enhance your sight, strength and speed is COOL and absolutely, 100% the right thing to do – IF YOU’RE FIGHTING CRIME OR PROTECTING THE EARTH FROM ALIEN INVASION!

However, having our bodies fitted out with breathing masks, sleep devices, body braces or lap bands not because the world needs saving but because we can’t be bothered taking care of ourselves is definitely NOT cool. In fact the more I think and write about this topic the more ridiculous and lame it seems to me. If Robocop was a story about a lazy cop equipped with a breathing mask, lap band and ankle braces because he couldn’t be bothered conditioning his body to fight crime IT WOULD’VE SUCKED. But for some reason in real life we think it’s a great idea to implant electronic devices or have surgical intervention to take away the negative effects of the health choices we make.

Ok so the other day I watched Channel 7’s TODAY TONIGHT (click to watch segment) and there was a segment on a revolutionary breakthrough that would help people get to sleep easier. I knew right away that the segment wouldn’t be about the importance of maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle but instead some weird gimmick or quick fix tool that would ‘magically make everything better’ - I was right. What followed was completely ridiculous – a surgically implanted, iPhone sized, electronic device that regulates the position of the tongue, through continuous electric pulses to keep the airways open. What the hell?

My initial reaction was ‘wow, this is pathetic’ then my second reaction was that the people shown who are testing the device didn’t exactly look like they are the perfect examples of ideal health – why wasn’t that the focus? The segment moves onto clips of how the doctors calibrate the device and how it’s going to help the millions of Australian’s suffering from sleep apnea and save billions of dollars spent on sleeping pills… blah blah blah.

Anyway, to top it off the woman in the clip didn’t even sound too convinced that the device was awesome or that it’s doing the job it’s meant to – she’s gone from having 2 hours sleep a night to a whopping 4-5 hours. Her comments on the device’s effectiveness at the end were as lame and as uninspired as the device itself - “now I’m sleeping 4-5 hours solid a night… and that is enough for me, then I can go back to sleep – a bit…”. I wasn’t feeling convinced at all. The uplifting, emotional music playing in the background tries to trick our brains into thinking that what’s happening has saved the day and changed this woman’s life but her response made me feel she wasn’t that happy at all and sounded nothing like what I’d expect from a woman who has only had 2 hours sleep each night for a few years – that’s my opinion though, I wasn’t there.

Why don’t specialists encourage healthy diets, regular exercise or stress relief techniques? Why don’t ‘specialists’ stop and think that the body isn’t sleeping for a reason, that there is obviously dysfunction somewhere in the body that is causing the problems it’s having? The body doesn’t just fall into dysfunction for no reason at all, so why not get to the source of the problem and address it correctly? Why don’t ‘specialists’ stop and think about the potential negative effects that could come from forcing an abnormally functioning body to function ‘normally’? At the very least why not look at lifestyle factors that may have changed around the time she started having sleep apnea?

From my point of view the woman in the clip didn’t look like she’s laying off sugar and grains, like she does any stretching or like she moves often and challenges her body – she could barely move comfortably when in bed. Wouldn’t the best approach be to change her thinking and lifestyle rather than literally cut her open to insert an iPhone?

There are so many issues with this procedure and others like it that just don’t sit well with me and I could very easily rant on for ages about the;

-           weak will of people getting these procedures

-           the overabundance of poor lifestyle choices in the world

-          ‘health professionals’ selling these procedures to make a quick buck

-          the pathetic and extreme focus on physical looks

-          the potential negative side effects of having the function of your body all of a sudden changed; or the

-          huge lack of understanding most of us have about our bodies.

Also, on the other side of the coin, there’s the issue that maybe these health professionals genuinely believe they are doing the right thing – there’s heaps to cover. I feel I’m justified in having this rant and expressing my opinions as I have trained people from all walks of life;

-          People with disabilities (some of whom who initially can barely stand)

-          Stressed people with high blood pressure and hyper tension

-          Overweight people

-          People with skin conditions

-          People with drug addictions

-          People with reoccurring injuries

-          People completely reliant on antidepressants

And I am yet to see someone who has not overcome their health issues by living the way nature intended (4 Key Points of Health). We all need to understand that our bodies are designed to be in good shape – all the time – and that if there is a problem with our body that it is not from some random occurrence but how we are living and how we treat our bodies. I believe that most cases of ill health in the world are simply a reflection of that particular person’s choices in life – not that they have bad luck or no choice in the matter. We really need to show more responsibility with our choices.

I do understand the appeal in wanting a quick fix. There’s definitely great appeal in avoiding hard work and taking the easy path but this doesn’t teach you anything about your body, educate you to take care of yourself or learn how to listen to and understand your body.

Personally, I feel procedures like these are more like a fall backwards rather than a revolutionary leap forwards, they teach a person that it’s ok to treat your body like crap because there’s a miracle surgery around the corner that’ll ‘rid’ you of the negative effects of your poor choices. It doesn’t educate people – it makes them stupid. I fear that if the majority of the population jumps on easy options like this that the health of the world will deteriorate much quicker than it already is and leave future generations left for dead.

I can forgive someone like Alex Murphy for taking a quick fix procedure to become Robocop, he had to avenge his own death, protect his family and fight crime- fair call. But I can’t forgive someone who wants a quick fix procedure just because they are upset at the results of their life’s choices or prefer to let a particular condition get the better of them. Relying on a quick fix is tempting but teaches you nothing and only makes you weaker and yet another poor example for future generations to take note from. Be responsible for your choices and take control of your life!