From birth, we spend a third of our lives asleep. After decades of research, we’re still not sure why.
A recent study looking at people who sleep an average of five hours a day versus people who sleep an average of seven hours a day showed a much higher incidence of hypertension, heart disease, depression and even suicides in the group with less sleep. What a difference a shortening of sleep time of just two hours made!
We still don’t know why we need to sleep. We do know of the severe consequences if we don’t get enough sleep. Is sleep a period where the brain’s activity goes very quiet and thus it gets it “rest?” The answer is an emphatic No! Sleep is not being unconscious. It is a dynamic state with shifting levels of electricity and ebbing and flowing of chemicals in the brain.
How much sleep?
Babies sleep between 12-18 hours a day. Interestingly 50% of their sleep time is in REM (rapid eye movement) dream sleep.
Children usually sleep from 8pm-6am averaging about 11-13 hours. Twenty-five per cent of their sleep is in REM sleep. Studies have shown that children who sleep less are more prone to gaining more weight and also resulting in poorer school grades and lower IQ.
Teenagers usually have a natural sleeping time from 1-10am and they require about nine hours of sleep. Less sleep again has been implicated in poorer school grades. Also, early school hours i.e. usually most schools start at 8am, often clash with their natural sleeping times.
Adults typically require 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep a night and their sleeping times are usually between 11pm-6am. Again, both sleeping shorter or longer than these normal seven hours result in higher morbidity, higher rates of depression and obesity.
Common sleep problems
There are to date 86 sleep disorders known. The most common of which is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
Sleep problems, especially insomnia, are definitely getting more common these days with the increasing workloads put on us. Not to mention, the myriads of distractions that abound ranging from the Internet, computer, TV and late-night rendezvous with friends at our 24 hours-a-day-open mamak stalls!
How do we overcome sleep problems and get a good sleep?
Recognise the fact that sleep is a valuable commodity. Guard it religiously. Sleep at the recommended hours, for the recommended hours. Keep computers/TVs/CD players/radios out of the bedroom – these are potential sleep distractions. Keep the bedroom comfortable, neat, clean and quiet. Remember to “cool down” to sleep. Relax for half an hour before sleeping by soaking in a warm tub, do a bit of light-reading or listen to some slow, easy music.
We cannot just switch off the computer or TV and jump into bed to sleep. Our minds would still be a beehive of activity and many would find it hard to sleep. Do not take substances like teas, coffees, carbonated drinks, chocolates just before sleeping. They are stimulants because they contain caffeine which prevents us from falling asleep.
Social network
The combination of Facebook/Twitter on Internet-connected smartphones creates a perpetual state of being able to log into this social network sites 24 hours a day. A recent study done on 201 volunteers showed that except for sleep and sex, the urge to log into social networking sites was stronger than almost any other urge - including the urge for a cigarette, coffee, food or alcohol. This obsessive-compulsion behaviour borders on addiction and “steals” a lot of people’s time and unsurprisingly eats into their sleep time too resulting in sleep deprivation.
In conclusion, I would say that while there is still so much we need to find out about sleep, what we do already know is that sleep is very important and we should guard our sleep fervently!
Dr Raymond Tan is a consultant ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) surgeon, snoring & sleep apnea specialist.
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