It is a common fact that lack of sleep inhibits concentration. Whether the cause is chronic insomnia, a sleep disorder, shift work, jet lag, or simply trying to put in extra hours at work, we have all experienced the exhaustion caused by the lack of sleep.
In fact, sleep is as important to a healthy lifestyle as eating properly and exercising. Recent studies confirm that too little sleep may increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression. Therefore, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the simplest activities you can do to stay healthy.
There have been different opinions as to how much sleep you need. Before deciding how many hours you should sleep, there is a simple test to be done. If you wake up rested and energised in the morning, you have enjoyed a good night’s sleep. Medical experts say that a healthy adult needs six to eight hours of sleep a night.
However, the number of hours may vary from person to person. That means it is not the number of hours that matters but the quality of sleep you get. On certain days, you break rest and do not sleep for long hours. What happens is that you will suffer from what is called a sleep debt. If your sleep debt remains for a long time, recovery may not be easy.
Losing a couple of hours on a few days may not be harmful. However, if you continue to keep awake at night for a long time, you court disaster. Some employees and students do not get enough sleep. Sometimes, students work till the wee hours at night to finish their studies. Some of them do part-time jobs during the day and study at night. They will have to pay a heavy price for not getting adequate sleep.
Sleep loss
According to a research study at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, at least one-third of adults have significant sleep loss. Most of them sleep for less than six hours a night. A recent poll found that 40 percent of Asians go to bed only after midnight. Even some housewives keep awake at night cleaning and attending to other matters and go to bed pretty late. They also get up early in the morning to prepare meals for their husbands and children. By noon, they feel very tired and doze off.
Our lifestyle, today, does not allow us to enjoy the required number of hours for sleep. Most of us are burdened with huge responsibilities. Students have to do their studies and employed people have their own problems. Quite unknown to them, they begin to suffer from sleep disturbances. There are others who are actively engaged in socialising or surfing the internet at night. They invariably go far beyond their bedtimes. In short, most of us are sleeping less than we should.
According to a sleep survey conducted by the Asian Sleep Research Society, 80 percent of the people in Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan suffer from sleeping problems. Sleep disorders include insomnia and sleep apnea.
In Japan, two million people are suffering from sleeping disorders. It is tragic that most of us do not realise the importance of a good night’s sleep. We are unaware that lack of adequate sleep will lead to a host of health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression. Stanley Coren, author of ‘Sleep thieves’ says not getting enough sleep will damage your immune system as well. The main reason is that your immune system works best when you are asleep.
The human body has natural killer cells which activate the body’s defence system against external intrusions. If you are sleep deprived, your natural killer cells in the blood will decline by 37 percent. Some people sleep during the day to catch up their lost sleep. However, this does not work as anticipated because the damage had already been done. When you work at night, the time you should have been in bed, you run the risk of cardiovascular problems. Sleeping less than five hours is bound to double the risk of high blood pressure.
Insufficient sleep will affect three hormones that contribute to obesity. The level of ‘Leptin’, an appetite-suppressing hormone is regulated during sleep. Ghrelin triggers appetite increases with sleep deprivation. What is more, when you are sleep deprived, your body will produce more of the stress hormone cortisol increasing the fat storage.
Sleep helps us to maintain the balance of brain activity. Brain neurotransmitters are replenished during sleep. Lack of sleep will result in the depletion of brain chemicals. When this happens, you will suffer from depression, anxiety and general feelings of anger and sadness.
Requirements
If you sleep like a baby, most of the sleep-related problems will vanish. For this purpose, certain requirements are necessary. Babies find it difficult to sleep when there is too much light and noise. Therefore, your bedroom should be a quiet place with less light and noise. The following advice will be useful for anyone who wishes to enjoy a good night’s sleep:
• Go to bed at a particular time without fail
• Have dinner at least two to three hours before bedtime. Limit you caffeine consumption and avoid smoking. Drinking herbal tea after dinner has been recommended by medical experts.
• Exercises or some physical activity during the day will promote quality sleep. However, avoid vigorous exercises before bedtime
• If you are unable to sleep, do not simply lie in bed. Instead, do something enjoyable such as reading a novel
• Some people have certain rituals before bedtime. Some of them are drinking a glass of warm milk or green tea
• If you have sleep problems, get medical treatment. Do not take sleeping tablets without a doctor’s prescription.
