Fix your sleep. It is non-negotiable.

GUEST COLUMN: Dr N Prabhudev

Bengaluru, Dec 11:
Sleep is a biological necessity!
Sleep doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It’s often the first thing people sacrifice to make time for almost anything else – leisure or work or even time pass. You spend one-third of your life sleeping! But 60% are deprived of good sleep in the night! 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month!
Chronic sleep loss or sleep disorders impacts almost a 1/4 of the population! Five hours a night for five nights will age a man by a decade – The result – Their testosterone levels dropped to the equivalent of someone 10 years older!
Circadian rhythms or the biological clock refers, collectively, to the daily rhythms in physiology and behaviour. They control the sleep-wake cycle, modulate physical activity and food consumption, and over the course of the day regulate body temperature, heart rate, muscle tone, and hormone secretion. Carbs make you sleepy while protein makes you more alert.
One of the most important and least appreciated keys to extending your health span is a great night’s sleep. It rejuvenates the body, boosts cognitive function, and powers your immune system. It’s the foundation for your health and longevity. Insufficient sleep can have serious metabolic and hormonal consequences. When individuals are sleep-deprived, the body essentially enters a state of malnutrition.
Nobody can get away with fewer than six hours of sleep a night without harming their health! It doubles your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Insufficient sleep can also contribute to major psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Sleep facts!
Humans spend a third of their life sleeping – nearly 25 yrs. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity all have been linked to chronic sleep loss! Each year, sleep-related errors and accidents causes nearly 25,000 deaths, and result in 2.5 million disabling injuries! People whose normal nightly sleep duration is less than four hours or more than nine or 10 hours have a higher-than-average risk of dying prematurely.
Sleep disorder affects more than 50 million adults. India is the second good sleep deprived country in the world after Japan. Sleep deprivation is a significant issue in India, 60% getting less than six hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. Indians Are Facing a Sleep Health Crisis. 59% of India’s population goes to sleep post 11 pm. Ideal bed time is 10 to 11 PM! Use of electronic devises has impacted adversely the sleep pattern!
Hormones never work in isolation. They work as in an orchestra.
“Usually blood pressure dips by 10 to 20% during the night. But sleep deprivation leads to nocturnal hypertension that is linked directly to high incidence of cardiovascular events. Sleep-deprived individuals are also more likely to develop diabetes, and high cholesterol and indulge in faulty dietary habits. Further, lack of sleep is also linked to early dementia, affecting both short and long-term memory, concentration, creativity, and problem-solving abilities!
Good sleep is going to bed when you are tired, falling asleep within 15-30 minutes, staying asleep for 6-8 hours, and waking up feeling rested rejuvenated and recharged!
Good sleep gives your immune system some fighting power! Sleep puts you at lower risk for depression and other mood disorders. And best of all, good sleep may keep you slender, tender and keeps you looking younger. There is a direct relationship between how well you sleep and how long you live! You ever notice how much older you look when you wake up from a night of lousy sleep?
As you get older, the ability to sleep well can become more elusive – our body produces lower levels of hormone – Melatonin which puts you to sleep! Driving sleepy is just as dangerous as driving drunk.
Sleep is a necessity. It is a basic human need. Sleep is a Secret to a Better Brain, Younger Face and Longer Life! Good sleep improves mental clarity which makes you – less susceptible to accidents, improves your judgement, and keeps your memory sharp.
Duration of good sleep Varies from person to person! Teenagers need about 8 to 10 hrs. Adults need about-7to 8hrs. Some people need more sleep, and others less. What matters the most is how you feel when you wake up in the morning.
Sleep deprivation is a negative stress for the body! Those who don’t sleep well are likely to wake up with elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. When cortisol levels are high, it has a cascading effect on several other hormones in our body, including insulin, thyroxin, progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone, and many more. If you are sleep-deprived, you are likely to have a hormonal imbalance!
The more sleep-deprived we are, the more inflammation sets in our bodies. When you can’t sleep it can be very frustrating. You toss, turn, get up, lie down and stare at the ceiling knowing you are going to wake up tired and functioning at less than your best!
Sleep routine should include the following: Be physically active every day! Avoid long daytime naps. Enjoy half an hour of Sunlight every day for good sleep in the night! Time your exercises right!
• Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. Everyday. No changes on weekends.
• Give yourself 60 minutes to prepare for bed – to include post prandial walk of 20 minutes! Complete your wash room routines! Slow down the body so it is ready to go to bed.
• Drink a cup of warm milk – which has naturally occurring ingredients that make people sleepy
• No screen activity for an hour before bed time! Disengage from the laptop!
• Research has shown that we sleep better in relatively cooler temperatures!
• A dark room encourages sleep
• No coffee, No alcohol prior to preparing yourself to go to bed!
• Avoid sleep medications!