Article by Jyotirao Phule Subharti College of Physiotherapy on the occasion of World Sleep Day
“Sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, along with good nutrition and regular exercise,”
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“Getting sufficient, quality sleep on a regular basis can improve physical and mental health, enhance performance, and promote safety.”
Who doesn’t like to sleep in on the weekend? Or wish they had an extra hour or two to sleep on Monday morning? We are all very familiar with those feelings. The impact of proper sleeping habits on general health cannot be ignored or taken lightly.
As health professionals, physiotherapists constantly promote better sleep habits to our clients, as it plays an incredibly important role in injury recovery and pain levels. Physiotherapy helps in sound sleep by treating insomnia, anxiety and stress.
- Better sleep habits lead to lower risks of developing obesity, diabetes, and generally lower incidence of mortality.
- World Sleep Day is meant to raise awareness of sleep that should be considered as a human privilege, but unfortunately, often compromised by the habits of modern life. ‘World Sleep Day’ aims to help those who have sleep problems. This day is meant to educate people all over about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can ruin the health of people. World Sleep Day is an annual, global call to action about the importance of healthy sleep. This year the theme is Theme: Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet.
- For people with chronic pain, better sleep promotes a lower sensitivity to pain.
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FACTS
- Most sleep disorders are preventable, yet one-third of sufferers seek professional help.
- Persistent interruption of breathing during sleep is called Sleep Apnea that causes daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
- This may lead to hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
- Lack of sleep also leads to many psychological conditions such as anxiety and psychosis.
- Poor quality sleep leaves people more vulnerable to accidents causing death or serious injuries.
- Insomnia affects between 30-45% of the adult population.
- A better understanding of sleep conditions and more research into the area will help reduce the burden of sleep disorders on society.
- Three elements of good quality sleep are:
- Duration: The length of sleep should be sufficient for the sleeper to be rested and alert the following day.
- Continuity: Sleep periods should be seamless without fragmentation.
- Depth: Sleep should be deep enough to be restorative.
- A healthy sound sleep promotes good health
The health benefits of regular exercise can help reduce stress, boost alertness during the day, and even improve your sleep quality. On the 13th of March, World Sleep Day there’s no better time than to think about our sleep patterns and look to a better night’s sleep.
A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for our health. It’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising. Sleep is a period when our brain rejuvenates and regulates the functions of our nervous system, ensuring important processing, restoration and reduced stress. Our bodies also require long periods of sleep to grow muscle, repair tissue, strengthen memory and learning skills and regulate and synthesize hormones.
If our bodies experience a lack of sleep, this can cause major concerns and health problems. When sleep is deprived it can lead to a build-up of toxins which becomes apparent in cognitive abilities, behaviour and judgement. Deprivation of sleep can cause moodiness, impaired learning, memory loss and can have damaging effects on the brain and body.
Insufficient sleep increases the hunger hormone (ghrelin), reduces the satiety hormone (leptin) and can also decrease our resting metabolic rate, resulting in weight gain.
Sleep loss has also been known to cause irregular heartbeats, increased stress and anxiety levels which can cause cardiovascular problems. It can also lead to a weakened immune system, reduced testosterone, chronic stiffness and even long-term change of our DNA. Exercise is a great way to help maintain regular sleep patterns. Any type of movement is better than no movement and these three activities are scientifically proven to help support a better night sleep.”
CARDIO EXERCISES
Aerobic exercises have been proven to ensure quality sleep and battle insomnia. Activities that get your heart rate up are perfect for supporting sleep as it allows good blood flow and secretion of the ‘happy hormones’ called endorphins which facilitate better sleep. It can increase alertness throughout the day. 20-minutes of moderate-intensity workouts or a 10-minute high-intensity workout can help maximize energy levels and maintain regular sleep.
TIPS TO ENHANCE THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF SLEEP
- Don’t:
- Drink coffee after lunch; it can lead to tossing and turning at night
- Stay up late working on the computer; prevents us from being able to “wind-down” and fall asleep
- Go to bed unless you are sleepy
- Read, write, eat or watch TV in bed
- Do’s:
- Try and keep a regular sleep schedule
- Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool
- Establish a routine that helps you relax each night before bed
BE ACTIVE
- Add fitness to your commute, parking the car farther away
- Walk and talk during mobile phone calls
- Practising 10 minutes of deep breathing in the morning
- Socialize more often. Dancing can help burn lots of calories
- Learn workstation exercises to perform at the workstation/desk
- The benefit of leading a physically active life is to achieve a better quality of life.
- Establish a regular bedtime and waking time.
- If you are in the habit of taking siestas, do not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep.
- Avoid excessive alcohol ingestion.
- Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime.
- Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4 hours before bedtime.
- Exercise regularly.
- Use comfortable, inviting bedding.
- Find a comfortable sleep temperature setting and keep the room well ventilated.
- Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible.
- Reserve your bed for sleep avoiding its use for work.