Sleep Specialists recently have shared their views on sleep patterns and the impact on weight gain.
by Victor Cherubim
We have over the years noticed that Sri Lankans, particularly politiciansof all shades look bloated, of course not all, but many, and it is time to address this problem head on before it becomes “a pandemic”?
Sleep Specialists recently have shared their views on sleep patterns and the impact on weight gain.
First and foremost, we all need sleep, primarily to rest our bodies. That is not fully correctas we are told it affects our brain more than our bodies. We need sleep and proper amounts of sleep to replenish our brain. Our brain according to research thrives on adequate sleep and fragmented sleep or less sleep at night can create havoc on our health and wellbeing.
We need sleep to maintain our brain, to rest our bodies and particularly as a resistance mechanism for infection, as well to avoid sleep disorders.
Insufficient sleep according to research, is the cause of sleeping at the wheel whilst driving at night, poor judgment, racial tension, behavioural disorders, anger, among others. Could our road accidents be reduced with better sleep?
But you may say, Sri Lankans are pone to have an afternoon nap to rest and recuperate and feel fresh but hardly so, after a heavy lunchpacket.
The real reason that people take a nap orhave a “kip” or “four winks” as we call it in England, is that they cannot sleep with early dawn or sunrise and getting up too early to start to go to work, make them doze off in the afternoon after lunch. They often go to bed late and/or they work the night shift. Many do not have the required 9 hours of sleep at night. Many also have fragmented sleep patterns, which cause sleep deprivation. Small wonder they have not irritable bowel syndrome, but instead irritable behaviour and immune deficiency.
What do you get when you have inadequate sleep at night?
The short answer according to a Harvard Medical School surveyis you become:
1. Stupid
2. Fat
3. Sick and
4. Unhappy
What do we see around us? We see schools opening at 7.30 am or a little later. With children packed into Vans liked sardines and workers crammed in trains and buses all bleary eyed (that is before the Corona virus pandemic) and arriving at work on time. Many arrive in a tired state trying to get the best of their day’s activities. Should we say that our sleep debt is greater than our national debt?
What then are the negative effects of too much sleep?
Of course, oversleep too has adverse effects according to researchers.Thus, how much sleep is too much?
Research suggests sleeping more than 10 hours per night is associated with an increased risk of health issues like chronic inflammation, heart disease and even depression.
Getting the restorative benefits of good sleep quality is all that matters. How you feel when you wake up is generally a good indicator of wellbeing.
But we also know of other factors which play a part in sleep activity. They are Age, Activity levels, Health, among others.
We know that children need more sleep than adults. Older adults on the other hand, also need more sleep than young adults.
The more active a person, the more sleep they will need to allow for physical exertion.
Besides, regular exercise can improve sleep quality.
A comfortable bed and bedroom free of distractions is also good for practicing good sleep habits.
What is “Sleep Debt”
If we sleep less than our body needs to feel refreshed and do not catch up, we call it “sleep debt”. Until we pay up this debt in one way or the other, itcauses decreased alertness, decreased performance, memory impairment, anger, and stress level increase.
We need our parliamentarians not to burn the candle at both ends. It is no fun if they run a debt of sleep. They suffer, but the country suffers more.
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