NURTURING SLEEP HYGIENE
About 45 % of the world population experience sleep problems. The problems often affect the quality of the sleep, the timing and/or duration as well as the day-to-day functioning. Sleep deprivation often results in fatigue, significant mood changes, impact on attention span as well as a decline in memory. Deterioration in work performance and productivity can also be another impairment secondary to poor quality sleep.
There are several sleep disorders ranging from narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome and insomnia. Insomnia is the difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep during the course of the night and is the most common problem. Sleep apnoea is characterised by abnormal patterns of breathing during sleep.
Other individuals experience hypersomnia; a disorder whereby an individual has excessive sleepiness during the day (can occur even if one had adequate sleep during the night).
Sleep disorders may also be a factor in most mental health disorders. For instance, insomnia is a major symptom in depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and even psychotic disorders. Poor quality sleep can also exacerbate mental health problems.
it is worth noting that good sleep is essential for our overall wellbeing and optimal health functioning. With quality sleep there is bound to be more alertness hence it is essential that sleep hygiene practices be carried out to enhance sleep.
Exercising regularly is one of the undertakings that can help aid sleep. Whilst acknowledging that we can’t all exercise, engagement in any physical activity like gardening can still assist. Sleeping during the day can result in challenges in sleep at night thus individuals are encouraged to sleep less during the day. Avoid taking caffeine products by bed time as they make individuals to stay alert thus interfering with sleeping patterns.
There have been several studies rooting for “milk therapy” in order to deal with issues like insomnia. A cup of milk can assist in aiding sleep; this is attributable to an amino acid component called tryptophan contained in milk. Tryptophan is essential in the production of serotonin which helps in sleeping, digestion and stabilisation of our mood.
The use of internet, social media and many of the electronic gadgets has been seen to affect sleep quality. It is recommended that we sleep for at least 8 hours and thus the need to limit use of gadgets during sleeping time.