Are you getting enough Sleep?

We spend one third of our life in sleep. Experts feel that 6-8 hours of sleep every day is required for the restorative functions of the body. In recent times our attempts to gain more waking hours at the cost of sleep time is posing a hazard for our generation.

The acute, or short term, form of sleep deprivation is common, often before examinations, during travel or festivities, or after late-night parties. The effects observed the next day are frequent yawning, micosleeps or dozing, lack of attention, impaired reflexes, altered mood and tiredness.

The dangers of sleep deprivation are nowhere more apparent than on the road. Our reflexes are impaired, reaction time prolonged and judgement distorted. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that one in every five serious motor vehicle injuries is caused by driver fatigue. Alcohol trebles the effect of sleep deprivation, making highways so dangerous at night. Surgeons who sleep less are also more prone to commit fatal mistakes during operations.

Chronic, or long-term sleep deprivation, causes serious changes to our brains and body. Lack of adequate rest impairs our ability to think, handle stress, maintain a healthy immune system and moderate our emotions. In fact, sleep is so important to our overall health that total sleep deprivation can be fatal: lab rats denied the chance to rest die within two to three weeks.

Typical effects of sleep deprivation include:

• depression
• heart disease
• hypertension
• irritability, depression, mental disorders
• slower reaction times
• slurred speech
• tremors.
• Weight gain or loss

 There are 2 forms of sleep: the rapid eye movement (REM) and the non-REM patterns, that alternate during our 7 hours of normal sleep. REM sleep is usually asociated with dreaming and is an esential component. Many sleeping pills reduce REM sleep and hence do not provide the kind of sleep that makes you feel refreshed when you wake up.

Insomnia, or lack of sleep, is often observed in several underlying conditions: people who are tense and anxious find it difficult to fall asleep (initial insomnia. In contrast  some wake up in the middle of the night or very early, and then find it difficult to get back to sleep (terminal insomnia), a pattern ofen seen in depression.

What is causing concern to scientists in recent times is the observation that chronic sleep deprivation in young children can lead to growth retardation. More exams, more late night parties or cell phone chats could mean lower physical growth and brain development in them!

And as for adults, recent studies are linking chronic sleep deprivation with weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. It is during the sleeping hours that our blood levels of excitatory chemicals like adrenaline, cortisol, prothrombin and C-reactive protein revert to normal. Their prolonged presence leads to tissue breakdown. Imagine a car kept running continuously, without switching the engine off or servicing it periodically.

Thomas Edison was famous for cat naps, nowadys called micro-sleeps, that some fortunate people are good at, but nothing really to replace the 7 hours of good restorative sleep to recharge your body and brain, and keep you healthy in the long run. Bon nui!

As published in HT City 9 (Hindustan Times)