Lack of sleep can seriously affect your health and make your life a misery. Abbie Wightwick asks, how can we all sleep better?
More than half of us get only six hours or less sleep a night, hardly enough to keep us going throughout the day.
Not only that but an alarming four in five people report disturbed or inadequate sleep.
Sleep problems can be caused by many things – worry, uncomfortable beds, a partner’s snoring, wakeful children or simply being too hot.
A survey from the Sleep Council shows people in Wales are the most likely in the UK to have their sleep disturbed during the night – 55% compared with a national average 47.8%.
The survey shows:
51% of people in Wales get six or fewer hours sleep a night.
15% of couples roll together because of a dip in their bed.
64% report waking with neck and back ache.
Problems could be caused by illness, wakeful children, worry or simply an old, uncomfortable bed.
Beds deteriorate as much as 70% over 10 years, according to industry research.
“People simply don’t seem to make the connection between lack of sleep and the state of their bed,” says Professor Chris Idzikowski from the Edinburgh-based Sleep Centre.
But how much sleep do we need?
Eight hours is often quoted as the ideal but some of us need less and some more, experts say.
The answer seems to be we need enough sleep to feel refreshed in the morning and stay awake and alert throughout the day.
But six hours probably is too little, says Dr Joanna Longstaffe, clinical director of Cardiff’s Independent General Practice.
“While everyone is obviously different in the amount of sleep they require to function efficiently, it’s probably true to say that the average person should be aiming for around seven to eight hours a night,” she advises.
“The problem gets more complicated when you take into account the fact that it’s not just the hours you’re actually asleep that matter but the quality of sleep you’re getting.
“Daily stresses associated with busy careers, responsibility for young families – particularly an issue for women with small babies requiring attention during the night – all combine to hinder what would be considered normal sleep patterns.”
Tiredness affects our physical and emotional health.
Irritability and bad temper may be the most obvious signs but fatigue can also cause muscle fatigue, swollen glands and other ailments, Dr Longstaffe says.
Tiredness can also lead to increased risk of accidents and may lead people to self medicate either with too much caffeine to wake them or too much alcohol to help them sleep, neither of which is a good idea, warns Dr Phil Tucker from Swansea University.
Dr Tucker, who researches the effects of shift work, fatigue and work stress, says our bodies have evolved to sleep during the night, which often clashes with our 24-hour society and shift work.
“It’s hard to adjust to being a nocturnal person because our bodies have evolved to sleep in the dark,” he says.
Humans evolved to do certain things at certain times of day.
Research shows the body probably digests food less efficiently at night, which could affect sleep as well as general health for those eating late.
“The fact we don’t metabolise cholesterol and fats well at night might affect our cardiovascular health if we’re eating at night,” Dr Tucker explains.
Dr Longstaffe warns we shouldn’t dismiss feeling tired as a by-product of modern life, busy lives and juggling family, work and social life.
She says sleep deprivation can lead to mental and physical problems that could be avoided with a good night’s slumber.
If you suffer constant fatigue it’s worth consulting your GP as it can be an early indication of disease such as diabetes and thyroid problems, she says.
Continual fatigue could also be caused by a partner snoring.
At its worst, snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea, a debilitating condition affecting 4% of people.
Dr Stuart Quine, consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Spire Cardiff Hospital, specialises in operations to cure snoring, which may be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea.
People with the condition may never get the deep sleep their body needs because they wake when breathing becomes tricky.
Sleepers pass through five stages: one, two, three and four and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep several times a night.
The last two stages are the deepest sleep which those with obstructive sleep apnoea may never get.
“If you go to sleep but never get any stage three or four sleep you feel constantly tired,” Mr Quine explains.
If obstructive sleep apnoea is the reason he can operate to remove the obstacle with dramatic results.
Obstructions can include blocked nose, enlarged adenoids, large tonsils and soft tissue collapsing into the airway.
“I had one patient literally falling asleep on the chair in front of me,” Mr Quine recalls.
“But we can operate. Getting enough sleep again can change your life.”
It’s not just the hours you’re asleep that matter but the quality of sleep
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/health-and-beauty-in-wales/2011/04/02/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-91466-28443411/#ixzz1IPmOCWvK
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More than half of us get only six hours or less sleep a night, hardly enough to keep us going throughout the day.
Not only that but an alarming four in five people report disturbed or inadequate sleep.
Sleep problems can be caused by many things – worry, uncomfortable beds, a partner’s snoring, wakeful children or simply being too hot.
A survey from the Sleep Council shows people in Wales are the most likely in the UK to have their sleep disturbed during the night – 55% compared with a national average 47.8%.
The survey shows:
51% of people in Wales get six or fewer hours sleep a night.
15% of couples roll together because of a dip in their bed.
64% report waking with neck and back ache.
Problems could be caused by illness, wakeful children, worry or simply an old, uncomfortable bed.
Beds deteriorate as much as 70% over 10 years, according to industry research.
“People simply don’t seem to make the connection between lack of sleep and the state of their bed,” says Professor Chris Idzikowski from the Edinburgh-based Sleep Centre.
But how much sleep do we need?
Eight hours is often quoted as the ideal but some of us need less and some more, experts say.
The answer seems to be we need enough sleep to feel refreshed in the morning and stay awake and alert throughout the day.
But six hours probably is too little, says Dr Joanna Longstaffe, clinical director of Cardiff’s Independent General Practice.
“While everyone is obviously different in the amount of sleep they require to function efficiently, it’s probably true to say that the average person should be aiming for around seven to eight hours a night,” she advises.
“The problem gets more complicated when you take into account the fact that it’s not just the hours you’re actually asleep that matter but the quality of sleep you’re getting.
“Daily stresses associated with busy careers, responsibility for young families – particularly an issue for women with small babies requiring attention during the night – all combine to hinder what would be considered normal sleep patterns.”
Tiredness affects our physical and emotional health.
Irritability and bad temper may be the most obvious signs but fatigue can also cause muscle fatigue, swollen glands and other ailments, Dr Longstaffe says.
Tiredness can also lead to increased risk of accidents and may lead people to self medicate either with too much caffeine to wake them or too much alcohol to help them sleep, neither of which is a good idea, warns Dr Phil Tucker from Swansea University.
Dr Tucker, who researches the effects of shift work, fatigue and work stress, says our bodies have evolved to sleep during the night, which often clashes with our 24-hour society and shift work.
“It’s hard to adjust to being a nocturnal person because our bodies have evolved to sleep in the dark,” he says.
Humans evolved to do certain things at certain times of day.
Research shows the body probably digests food less efficiently at night, which could affect sleep as well as general health for those eating late.
“The fact we don’t metabolise cholesterol and fats well at night might affect our cardiovascular health if we’re eating at night,” Dr Tucker explains.
Dr Longstaffe warns we shouldn’t dismiss feeling tired as a by-product of modern life, busy lives and juggling family, work and social life.
She says sleep deprivation can lead to mental and physical problems that could be avoided with a good night’s slumber.
If you suffer constant fatigue it’s worth consulting your GP as it can be an early indication of disease such as diabetes and thyroid problems, she says.
Continual fatigue could also be caused by a partner snoring.
At its worst, snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea, a debilitating condition affecting 4% of people.
Dr Stuart Quine, consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Spire Cardiff Hospital, specialises in operations to cure snoring, which may be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea.
People with the condition may never get the deep sleep their body needs because they wake when breathing becomes tricky.
Sleepers pass through five stages: one, two, three and four and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep several times a night.
The last two stages are the deepest sleep which those with obstructive sleep apnoea may never get.
“If you go to sleep but never get any stage three or four sleep you feel constantly tired,” Mr Quine explains.
If obstructive sleep apnoea is the reason he can operate to remove the obstacle with dramatic results.
Obstructions can include blocked nose, enlarged adenoids, large tonsils and soft tissue collapsing into the airway.
“I had one patient literally falling asleep on the chair in front of me,” Mr Quine recalls.
“But we can operate. Getting enough sleep again can change your life.”
It’s not just the hours you’re asleep that matter but the quality of sleep
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/health-and-beauty-in-wales/2011/04/02/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-91466-28443411/#ixzz1IPmOCWvK
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