JOIN USSleep is often a confused entity. While we mock many sleepyheads, we also berate others who hardly shut their eye. But it is in fact a very serious issue. Lack of sleep can make life very difficult. In today’s age of rat races, people look at sleep as a luxury rather than necessity. The time which should be dedicated to rest and sleep is usually dedicated to watching television, surfing on mobiles and computers and so on.
But lack of proper sleep makes us dull and lethargic. When one takes away the only time to rejuvenate, the body shuts down the next day. Reflexes turn slow and you feel exhausted. Tiredness and lethargy can cause difficulty in focusing and retaining information. One also tends to lose the ability to make proper decisions due to lack of sleep. As per a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, up to 26% of people say that their sex lives tend to suffer because they are just too tired. There are ample proofs which say that inadequate sleep can be associated with lower testosterone levels.
Lasting effects
The effects of lack of sleep is so much more than just a bad mood or distorted concentration. It can also lead you to acute depression. Researches by various
scientists reveal that most people diagnosed with depression used to sleep for less than six hours at night. Insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder, is a very close relative of depression.
Actually, it is the first symptom of depression. If left unchecked, it can lead to various health issues like obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and even stroke.
Thus, quality sleep at night is highly essential for a healthy lifestyle. While it greatly benefits one’s heart, weight and mind, it also plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory and other vital functions of the body. A good sleep helps the mind and brain to function properly. Various studies reveal that a good night’s sleep improves one’s learning and cognitive ability. Soundless sleep also plays a great role in healthy growth and development of the body and mind. It also said that when one sleeps in the correct posture, the spinal discs rehydrate and recuperate from the day’s strain and regain elasticity.
Not many know this, but sleep is one of the important factors in losing weight,
besides a balanced diet and exercise. One can control and even lose weight by
devoting a good seven to eight hours of sound sleep. Our body actually gets
repaired and rejuvenated during the sleep. Did you know that the growth and repair hormones are released only during the sleep? All the more reason to hit the bed more often now.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) or snoring caused due to reasons like overdose of alcohol, smoking or sedentary lifestyle is characterised by shallow breathing or irregular breathing while sleeping. Each pause in breathing can last from 10 seconds to a minute and is called apnea while abnormally shallow breathing event is called hypopnoea.
Observation of the sleeping pattern and evaluation of the same can identify if a person is suffering from any kind of sleep disorder. Once it is evaluated, the treatment procedure can start. For detection of sleep disorder, one can either visit a sleep lab or get in-home sleeping aid devices. Polysomnography or monitoring of body functions during sleep can help the treating doctor to accurately diagnose the sleep disorder and suggest a course of treatment.
Patients detected with sleep apnea are often advised to undergo treatments like CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) therapies, wherein their breathing during sleeping gets controlled through non-invasive measures. People can themselves detect if they are prey to any sleep disorders by simply attempting the Stop Bang Sleep Apnea Questionnaire available online.
Insufficient or fragmented sleep at night can cause people to become moody the next day. Its only a good night’s sleep that can actually make a difference in the
quality of life.
(The author is medical director, Nightingales Home Health Services)