Sleep deprivation can kill. You can suffer from high blood pressure if you continuously deprive yourself of proper sleep. It could lead to heart diseases, heart attacks or stroke, which leaves our bodies paralyzed, according to Dr. Rodolfo Dizon Jr.
“It could lead to diabetes for those who are chronically sleep-deprived, because of the hormonal imbalance. It can also result in weight gain and increased pain perception. It’s also proven to increase mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder,” said Dizon, vice president of the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine and guest speaker at the Brunch with Simmons event, hosted by Kuysen, and held via Zoom last week.
Sleep deprivation has immediate effects on a person, he added. Waking up tired, having trouble functioning, memory impairment and slow thinking are signs of sleep deprivation.
One must have regular quality sleep to prevent this from happening. Quality of sleep pertains to its duration and continuity.
“We usually see somebody taking a nap and deduce that he or she is sleep-deprived. Naps are only recommended for people younger than 6 years old,” he said. Napping may affect the ability to fall asleep at night.
He continued that the number of hours a person needs to sleep depends on age. Newborns need 14 to 17 hours and it becomes fewer as you grow older. Young adults up until they reach 64 years old only need seven to nine hours of continuous sleep. Senior citizens need to rest for six to seven hours.
Trust your body
How do we know that we get enough sleep in a day or that we don’t oversleep? We have to trust our bodies to do the timing for us.
“Well, generally our body will be able to determine if it has gotten enough sleep. Sometimes we sleep more than nine hours because we need to catch up after a few nights of sleep deprivation. That is what we call paying up our sleep,” Dizon said.
If an adult regularly sleeps more than nine hours in a day, it could be a sign of a disorder. Dizon cited sleep apnea or narcolepsy as a probable cause for this. Sleep apnea is a disorder wherein the patient stops breathing in their sleep. Narcolepsy is overwhelming daytime drowsiness or attacks of sleep.
He emphasized the importance of sleep hygiene or habits that can improve one’s ability to fall asleep.
“This includes setting up a regular sleep schedule, sleeping and waking up at a certain time consistently . . . We should also avoid napping as much as possible,” he said.
Dizon also said to maintain the bedroom as a place of sanctuary. It should only be used as a place to rest, have a good night’s sleep or for intimate moments. One should avoid working in bed and he recommends not watching television or being on the phone in bed. He added that caffeine should be avoided in the late afternoon.
Sleep environment can also play a factor in the quality of sleep that you can have. Think of it as putting up a stage for your sleep. This includes having the right room temperature.
“Noise should be avoided. We need silence to keep us from distractions, though some people would prefer listening to relaxing or soothing music, or some prefer to listen to white noise like the sound of nature, birds chirping, waterfalls and rain sounds,” Dizon said.
Set the sleep stage
Turning off the lights will also signal our brain to start producing the melatonin hormone that helps us go into deep sleep. This is why it’s counterproductive to turn on your gadgets or television at this time.
He also said that sleeping comfortably is very important and thus choosing the right mattress and bedding promotes better sleep.
“We spend one-third of our lives devoted to sleep. Try to get the most comfortable bedding available,” he said.
It’s common to overlook the importance of a good mattress. But have you wondered why an overnight stay in a hotel gives guests their best sleep ever? It’s because hotels have perfected the fine balance of comfort and support in their beddings and mattresses. Aren’t some of us guilty of stripping the bed covers just to check the mattress brand?
Aloysius Chew, Southeast Asia general manager for Simmons, revealed that some of the hotel chains that we love use Simmons mattresses for their rooms.
“Some of those hotels in Manila are Shangri-La and City of Dreams and Sheraton in Cebu,” said Chew. The brand has been an industry leader for the past 150 years. Their patented pocketed coils technology offers durability and comfort. Simmons mattresses and pillows are available exclusively from Kuysen (kuysen.com).
Chew noted that Asians prefer firm mattresses while Westerners like softer ones. If you are unsure of what to get, Chew encourages you to visit a Kuysen showroom and test the mattress yourself.
“We highly recommend users to take a nap on your preferred mattress in the showroom before committing to it, like a test drive,” said Chew.
One of the most popular topics on the Facebook page Home Buddies is when to replace one’s mattresses and pillows.
“The mattress warranty is 10 years. So 10 years will be a good measure,” Chew said. “In a hotel, typically because of higher usage, it should be seven years. Pillow-wise, for hygiene purposes, maybe two to three years.” INQ