Sleep

Over the past long weekend, other than typing my report, the next major thing I did was sleep. In fact, I think I slept more than anything else. Now, I know many people consider sleep a waste of time, in fact I do too, to a certain extent. However, the fact is we underestimate the importance of sleep. Sleep is actually an integral part of our lives, essential to our mental and physical wellbeing.

For most adults, we need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Some people may need more, while others, less. However, what is important here is that we sleep our required amount of sleep each day. Sleeping less than this amount results in a "sleep-debt", which, like any debt, will have to be repaid some day. Some of us may say that we have gotten used to sleeping less, but in fact, you never do. We can get used to a sleep deprived lifestyle, however, "our judgment, reaction time, and other functions are still impaired". In fact, sleep-deprivation has been proven to result in people having worse reaction times than those intoxicated with alcohol.

What this means is that even though you have gotten used to sleeping 5 or 6 hours each night, your body still would prefer 7 to 8 hours of rest. And even though you feel like you are performing well without sufficient sleep, the fact is you could be performing better with a good night's rest. How to know if you have had enough sleep? Well, experts say that "if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven’t had enough sleep", and if you fall to sleep within 5 minutes of lying down, it is a sign of severe sleep deprivation, or even a sleep disorder.

Sleep is very important in our lives. Through experiments, researchers have found that sleep is necessary for survival. In an experiment with rats (poor things...) that normally live for 2 or 3 years, it was found that when deprived of REM sleep, the rats lived for only 5 weeks, while those that were totally deprived of sleep, lived for only 3 weeks. Sufficient sleep is required for our nervous and immune systems to work properly. Experts believe that sleep allows our neurons (brain cells) to shut down and repair themselves, hence without sleep, our neurons get "so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that they begin to malfunction".

Although now we all know the importance of getting enough sleep, I have to admit that it is not always possible to do so in a fast paced country like Singapore. So how do you guarantee that you at least make the most out of your sleep time? Well here's some tips from the site, which I hope can give us all the sleep we truely need.

Adapted from "When You Can't Sleep: The ABCs of ZZZs," by the National Sleep Foundation.

Set a schedule:
Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.

Exercise:
Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol:
Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.

Relax before bed:
A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime ritual.

Sleep until sunlight:
If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body’s internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.

Don’t lie in bed awake:
If you can’t get to sleep, don’t just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

Control your room temperature:
Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues:
If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night’s sleep you need.

Click here for more information on sleep.