"To Sleep or Not To Sleep" Project

“To sleep or not to sleep?” is a Marionet project, born in the Unknownness Lab, in partnership with the Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology of the University of Coimbra (CNC) and the Portuguese Sleep Association, which seeks to artistically address the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and as its causes and consequences. This is a disease characterised by the occurrence of breathing interruptions during sleep, and is poorly known, mostly due to the difficulty of diagnosis. It is estimated that there are 80-90% of undiagnosed cases of OSAS in Portugal.

 

Despite the social devaluation of sleep, one third of our lives are spent sleeping, which plays an essential role in our survival. According to the Portuguese Sleep Association, 20% of the Portuguese have difficulty in sleeping and more than 60% have been diagnosed with sleep disorders. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is one of the most common disorders which, according to the WHO, affects around 100 million people worldwide. Ageing is one of the risk factors for the development of OSAS. Since Portugal ranks 4th in the ageing index (more than 158 elderly people for every 100 young people), everything points to the fact that OSAS may constitute a major social challenge in the future, with a strong economic impact. In the long term, and untreated, OSAS contributes to the development of several diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, depression and neurodegenerative diseases.

 

We intend to contribute to increase the knowledge and public visibility of the subject by creating and presenting a show built on clinical and scientific data, as well as on the testimonies of patients, family members, doctors and health professionals that interact regularly with sleep disorders and with OSAS in particular.

 

In addition to the impact on the awareness of people and health professionals about this disease that is still little known, our plan that includes the collection of data through interviews with a wide universe of people, will also contribute to a better characterization of the disease and its social impact.

 

Along with the reflection already developed within the scope of the Unknownness Lab, the scientific research on the subject taking place at the CNC, in the project “Early detection of Sleep Apnoea as a new strategy to delay ageing” has been central in the preparation and development of this project.

 

Initially planned for 2021, the constraints imposed on cultural activity by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the show’s premiere to be postponed to the first quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, the preparation and pre-production work for the project is already underway, and a considerable number of interviews have already been conducted.