▲ Sleep & Health Co / CEO Chungpoong Hwang

1 billion people suffer from sleep apnea syndrome
The average sleeping hours of South Koreans are 7 hours and 41 minutes. A sound sleep is very important for us to activate our body during the day. Lack of sleep or bad sleep can cause fatigue and inefficiency at work place. A test shows that 24 hours of non-sleep is equal to 0.1% alcohol in our blood. And it is notable that around 1 billion people in the world are suffering from sleep apnea syndrome.

While a sound sleep is a must for a vigorous daily life, it sometimes can be a cause for death: sleep apnea syndrome. According to a research of an American sleep apnea research center on people died during the sleep for the last 15 years, 78% are turned out to be suffered from sleep apnea syndrome. 

Last July, the peer-reviewed respiratory organ journal <The Lancet> released a joint analysis result carried out in 193 countries by 12 specialists in the field. The team figured out that around 1 billion people in the world are suffering from sleep apnea syndrome based on the update of the disease prevalence rate of sleep apnea syndrome for the last 10 years; it is 10 times more than the World Health Organization’s report which was around 100 million. The research also figured out that 50% of diabetes patients have sleep apnea syndrome.

Proactive measures are needed
“Sleep apnea syndrome is one of the most threatening diseases for busy modern people today. So we must take it as a serious disease and bring up proactive measures” emphasizes Chungpoong Hwang, CEO of Sleep & Health Co. 

Most people sleep 7 to 8 hours a day. In other words, we spend 1/3 of our time to sleep. We feel fresh after having a sound sleep but lack of sleep not only causes fatigue during the day but also possible nerve diseases such as Alzheimer’s. 

Experts say that if a person does not breathe more than 10 seconds during the sleep, the person might have to doubt whether he/she has sleep apnea syndrome. If you are snoring heavily during the sleep, you are also highly likely to have this syndrome. Snoring is the sound when the loosened tongue rolled backward to block the airway and creates vibration in the structures such as soft palate. The problem is that the person snoring does not know what is happening during the sleep. 

Importance of having a sound sleep
The importance of a sound sleep is well presented by a new coined word ‘sleeponomics’: combined word of sleep and economics. Sleeponomics represents a phenomenon that people willingly opens their wallet for bedding and related medicine. Then a question occurs: how long is a sound sleep? 

CEO Hwang answers 7 hours but without a wake up during the sleep. You can say that you have had a sound sleep if you feel fresh and active without physical burden during the day. It means that the quality sleep is more important than the amount of time you sleep. 

The solution: BioGuard
After 20 years of passionate research, CEO Hwang brought up his brainchild to effectively solve the problem: BioGuard. The effect has been proved through clinical tests and those who have used it. It expands airway during the sleep by making the air flows in and out smooth and nice. You can simply wear it in your mouth right before sleep and you do not feel it uncomfortable. 

BioGuard is now in its 4th generation with simpler and upgraded design and function. The development of BioGuard was supported by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and its safety and effectiveness were proved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Also, it passed clinical tests carried out by 3 national university hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital which released a test result that 76% sleep apnea syndrome patients improved the symptoms. 

Made to order
A made to order BioGuard goes through the process as follows: 1) analysis on the sound of the breathing at home 2) analysis on structures of mouth and oral cavity 3) made by less than 0.01mm error for maximum effect and minimum inconvenience. 

Alongside innovative BioGuard, Sleep & Health Co recommends two of its brainchild: ‘Kokoro’ that helps nasal cavity breathing and ‘Healing Time’, the pillow exclusively designed to support BioGuard.