Are you getting your ‘beauty sleep’ every night? Sleeping eight hours
every night can save you from many chronic health problems later in life.
If you
wonder how Aurora, the Disney princess from Sleeping Beauty, remains so
youthful, energetic and radiant – you should know that she’s got nothing short
of a lifetime of adequate sleep.
When
the alarm clock buzzes loudly in the morning and you tap the snooze button a
million times, it is already a sign of insufficient sleep. Lugging yourself out
of bed and dragging yourself to get ready after that seems even more torturous.
Expect the same feeling of lethargy and unproductiveness to creep up later in
the afternoon.
Health problems
Health problems
A busy
and stressful lifestyle could be the reason for inadequate sleep, and as much
as we prioritize work-life balance, it is equally important to
practice sleep balance. Students should also take their sleep seriously,
as disrupted sleep can hinder performance in
school.
If you
can count your sleeping hours on one hand, that’s bad! Eight hours of sleep a
day is recommended by experts, yet Singaporeans are getting insufficient sleep, according to an editorial
in the Annals, a journal by the Singapore Academy of Medicine. Long
work hours, post-work socializing and commuting usually get in the way of
precious sleep. In the US, Asians get an average of 6.9 hours of sleep a day compared
to 7.4 hours for Whites, according to Mercedes Carnethon, professor of
preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
You may
wonder what could possibly be so detrimental to our health from not securing
enough sleep. If you are thinking about the common cold, fever or headache –
think again. Lack of sleep comes with a wide range of long-term health problems including
diabetes, obesity, depression, myocardial infarction, stroke and an increased
risk of hypertension. You would not want to incur such a huge health burden
from cutting back a few hours of sleep every night.
Mind, body and soul
Mind, body and soul
Working
mothers have the busiest schedules: office duties, household chores and
heavy-duty parenting. All this hard work usually results in less sleep. But
what women need to realize is that poor sleep can increase the risk of breast cancer and, according to a study
published in the Oxford Journal, Chinese women in Singapore who get
sufficient sleep have a reduced risk for breast cancer. The result of longer
sleep hours is an increase in melatonin levels, which leads to a lower breast
cancer risk, according to the study.
Sleep
problems usually arise from a change in sleep habits. Having enough sleep is
just as important as exercising and taking supplements. An article published by the Singapore Health Promotion Board
lists some reasons for changes in usual sleeping habits: pain, anxiety, worry,
depression or side effects to prescription drugs.
But
sleep is in no way effective unless it is undisrupted sleep. What constitutes
of good sleep? It is when we wake up feeling naturally
refreshed and not sleepy in the daytime, reports an article published
by the Singapore Sleep Society. The article also states that the common sleep
problems among adults are insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea, possibly
leading to the risk of coronary heart disease. A population-based study examined the risk factors
associated with habitual snoring and sleep-disordered breathing in an Asian
population. Risk factors include cigarette smoking, obesity, aging population,
neck circumferences, race and gender.
A brand new you
A brand new you
A
common misconception about sleep is that people assume they are doing
themselves a favor by ‘catching up on sleep’ over the weekends. It doesn’t work
that way – sleep is not accumulative. A study shows that even one night of
sleep deprivation can reduce performance levels and result in significant hormonal changes.
Sleep
loss is an Asian epidemic that can be easily addressed if
the population is keen on making lifestyle changes. Before it’s too late, ask
yourself, are you getting enough sleep?
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