Importance of sufficient sleep

IN today’s fast-paced, sleepdeprived world, the need for a restorative night’s sleep is more important than ever.

According to Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, we are in the midst of a sleep-deprivation crisis.

This has profound consequences on our health, job performances, relationships and even happiness, according to her book The Sleep Revolution.

A study published in 2011 in the European Heart Journal examined the sleep habits of more than 470,000 participants across eight countries and reported that prolonged sleep deprivation increases the risk of suffering from a stroke or heart disease.

Chronic short sleep produces hormones and chemicals in the body that increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Co-author of the report Prof Francesco Cappuccio, says, “If you sleep less than six hours per night and have disturbed sleep, you stand a 48% greater chance of developing or dying from heart disease and a 15% greater chance of developing or dying from a stroke.

“By ensuring you have about seven hours of sleep a night, you are protecting your health and reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses.”

A three-year study of 5,666 adults presented at the SLEEP 2012 conference found that stroke risk was four times higher for those who habitually sleep less than six hours a night.

“The public is less aware of the impact of insufficient amounts of sleep. Sleep is important as the body is stressed when it doesn’t get the right amount of it,” says Megan Ruiter, lead author of the study presented at the SLEEP 2012 conference.

Russian Academy of Medical Sciences professor of cardiology Prof Valery Gafarov says, “Poor sleep should be considered a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease along with smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet. Guidelines should add sleep as a risk factor to recommendations for preventing cardiovascular disease.”

Medical issues, stress, sleep hygiene and medications that could be possibly keeping you awake at night are some of the important details to consider when trying to improve sleep.

A further key question is whether you are getting the healthy and restorative sleep the body needs. Healthy and restorative sleep occurs during slow-wave deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stages.

It is during these stages that the body rests and repairs physically, emotionally and mentally, most effectively.

Studies have shown that L-Theanine, an extract of green tea, and alpha casein tryptic hydrolysate, a peptide from milk, have calming properties that promote sleep quality and improve relaxation.

This article is brought to you by LiveLife Sdn Bhd.

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