Sleep bandits
What could be affecting your sleep quality?
04:45 AM Mar 13, 2012
It's 4am, and you are counting sheep. Your body's long surrendered to fatigue, but your mind is still as active as a toddler on a sugar high.
It won't last for long, though. When morning arrives, the lack of sleep is likely to take a toll on your body and mind.
Technically, your mental function is the first to go when you are sleep deprived, said sleep specialist Dr Lim Li Ling, president of the Singapore Sleep Society.
She said: "The brain needs sufficient sleep to function well. In the short-term, your alertness, focus and concentration levels are affected. That's when you get motor vehicle accidents or industrial-type accidents."
In the longer term, it can affect your overall health, putting you at a higher risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and depression, added Dr Lim.
The Singapore Sleep Awareness Week will kick off this Friday. In conjunction with the week-long campaign "Sleep for all ages", Dr Lim is urging Singaporeans of all ages (yes, that includes children and teens) to make sleep a priority for the sake of better health.
Formal statistics show as many as one in five people suffer from insomnia or unrefreshing sleep at some point in their lives. However, Dr Lim feels the figure is merely just the tip of an iceberg, since most people probably don't seek medical help, and get by with insufficient sleep.
Can't get to sleep? Here's what could be sabotaging your good night's sleep.
1. You're fitting too many activities into your day.
This is a common mistake that busy Singapore executives make, noted
Dr Lim. In their hectic, fast-paced lives, Singaporeans tend to put sleep down on the priority list, and voluntarily choose to spend less time in bed.
Tip: Cut down on unnecessary late-night activities such as surfing the Internet, and go to bed earlier. Newborns need
16 hours of sleep. Most adults will do well with 7 or 8 hours of sleep, said
Dr Lim. How to tell if you are getting enough Zzzs? Your body has its own internal alarm clock. If you need an alarm clock to wake you up, you're probably not getting enough sleep, said Dr Lim.
2. You go to bed all psyched up.
People who are too stressed or find it hard to shut off from work will find it tough to fall asleep. The same applies if you engage in stimulating activities - watching a horror movie, playing computer games, vigorous exercise - just before bedtime, says Dr Lim. "I had a patient who was having trouble falling asleep because she was watching emotional Korean dramas at night!" she adds.
Tip: Learn to relax your mind. Dr Lim recommended winding down - a nice, warm bath might help - an hour before bedtime. Dim the lights so that your body's natural sleep hormone, melatonin, can kick in. Having sex might help too, added Dr Lim. Although it is "stimulating", an orgasm releases feel-good hormones which can be stress-relieving and relaxing.
3. You eat too much before bedtime.
If you end work late, you are likely to have dinner late too. Having a heavy meal too close to bedtime can cause heartburn and acid reflux, which can interfere with your breathing during sleep, said Dr Lim.
Tip: It takes 4 to 5 hours for your stomach to empty, so time your dinners well and cut out heavy suppers, advised Dr Lim.
4. You have too many sleeping "partners" in bed.
How many times did Junior's unintentional kungfu stunts wake you last night? You may think co-sleeping is great for bonding, but Dr Jenny Tang, medical director of SBCC Baby and Child Clinic, and Asthma Lung Sleep and Allergy Centre at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said the practice can reduce your sleep quality.
Not only does it increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, your child may also wake up more frequently at night, and have difficulty transiting to his or her own bed or room later on, added Dr Tang.
Tip: Don't start co-sleeping, advised
Dr Tang. You should start with what is finally desired. For instance, if your goal is for your child to sleep in his own cot in his own room, then stick to it right from the beginning. "Put the child drowsy but awake in his cot in his own room so that he can transit from drowsiness to sleep on his own. In this way he will learn to self soothe and will not require the presence of parents during spontaneous arousals to return back to sleep," said Dr Tang.
If you've started on the wrong footing, consider letting the child sleep on a separate bed in the same room.
5. You have a poorly controlled or undiagnosed medical condition.
Any illness that causes physical pain, such as gout or backaches, can interfere with sleep, said Dr Lim. Poor control of medical conditions like asthma, eczema or epilepsy can also affect sleep quality, added Dr Tang.
Tip: Take good control of any underlying medical condition. If you are getting enough hours of sleep but still feel tired and sleepy in the day, it is time to see a doctor, advised Dr Lim.
It won't last for long, though. When morning arrives, the lack of sleep is likely to take a toll on your body and mind.
Technically, your mental function is the first to go when you are sleep deprived, said sleep specialist Dr Lim Li Ling, president of the Singapore Sleep Society.
She said: "The brain needs sufficient sleep to function well. In the short-term, your alertness, focus and concentration levels are affected. That's when you get motor vehicle accidents or industrial-type accidents."
In the longer term, it can affect your overall health, putting you at a higher risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and depression, added Dr Lim.
The Singapore Sleep Awareness Week will kick off this Friday. In conjunction with the week-long campaign "Sleep for all ages", Dr Lim is urging Singaporeans of all ages (yes, that includes children and teens) to make sleep a priority for the sake of better health.
Formal statistics show as many as one in five people suffer from insomnia or unrefreshing sleep at some point in their lives. However, Dr Lim feels the figure is merely just the tip of an iceberg, since most people probably don't seek medical help, and get by with insufficient sleep.
Can't get to sleep? Here's what could be sabotaging your good night's sleep.
1. You're fitting too many activities into your day.
This is a common mistake that busy Singapore executives make, noted
Dr Lim. In their hectic, fast-paced lives, Singaporeans tend to put sleep down on the priority list, and voluntarily choose to spend less time in bed.
Tip: Cut down on unnecessary late-night activities such as surfing the Internet, and go to bed earlier. Newborns need
16 hours of sleep. Most adults will do well with 7 or 8 hours of sleep, said
Dr Lim. How to tell if you are getting enough Zzzs? Your body has its own internal alarm clock. If you need an alarm clock to wake you up, you're probably not getting enough sleep, said Dr Lim.
2. You go to bed all psyched up.
People who are too stressed or find it hard to shut off from work will find it tough to fall asleep. The same applies if you engage in stimulating activities - watching a horror movie, playing computer games, vigorous exercise - just before bedtime, says Dr Lim. "I had a patient who was having trouble falling asleep because she was watching emotional Korean dramas at night!" she adds.
Tip: Learn to relax your mind. Dr Lim recommended winding down - a nice, warm bath might help - an hour before bedtime. Dim the lights so that your body's natural sleep hormone, melatonin, can kick in. Having sex might help too, added Dr Lim. Although it is "stimulating", an orgasm releases feel-good hormones which can be stress-relieving and relaxing.
3. You eat too much before bedtime.
If you end work late, you are likely to have dinner late too. Having a heavy meal too close to bedtime can cause heartburn and acid reflux, which can interfere with your breathing during sleep, said Dr Lim.
Tip: It takes 4 to 5 hours for your stomach to empty, so time your dinners well and cut out heavy suppers, advised Dr Lim.
4. You have too many sleeping "partners" in bed.
How many times did Junior's unintentional kungfu stunts wake you last night? You may think co-sleeping is great for bonding, but Dr Jenny Tang, medical director of SBCC Baby and Child Clinic, and Asthma Lung Sleep and Allergy Centre at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said the practice can reduce your sleep quality.
Not only does it increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, your child may also wake up more frequently at night, and have difficulty transiting to his or her own bed or room later on, added Dr Tang.
Tip: Don't start co-sleeping, advised
Dr Tang. You should start with what is finally desired. For instance, if your goal is for your child to sleep in his own cot in his own room, then stick to it right from the beginning. "Put the child drowsy but awake in his cot in his own room so that he can transit from drowsiness to sleep on his own. In this way he will learn to self soothe and will not require the presence of parents during spontaneous arousals to return back to sleep," said Dr Tang.
If you've started on the wrong footing, consider letting the child sleep on a separate bed in the same room.
5. You have a poorly controlled or undiagnosed medical condition.
Any illness that causes physical pain, such as gout or backaches, can interfere with sleep, said Dr Lim. Poor control of medical conditions like asthma, eczema or epilepsy can also affect sleep quality, added Dr Tang.
Tip: Take good control of any underlying medical condition. If you are getting enough hours of sleep but still feel tired and sleepy in the day, it is time to see a doctor, advised Dr Lim.