Sleep: A Modern-Day Necessity Or Luxury?

Sleep is a vital process that allows the body and mind to recharge, and most healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night. However, sleep needs vary from person to person and can be influenced by factors such as age, activity level, and overall health. In today's fast-paced world, it's worth exploring if our modern lifestyles demand more sleep to maintain optimal health and well-being.

Sleep and weight management

Sleep is essential to regulating the hormones that affect hunger and appetite. Poor sleep can lower your metabolism, making it harder to burn calories. Establishing healthy sleep habits can support your weight loss efforts.

How Sleep Affects Appetite

Sleep regulates two important hormones that influence appetite: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin tells your body it's hungry, while leptin tells it you're full. Inadequate sleep disrupts these hormones. Short sleep duration increases ghrelin levels and decreases leptin levels, so you feel more hungry throughout the day, but you're less likely to feel satiated.

In one study, men who got four hours of sleep had increased ghrelin and decreased leptin compared to those who got ten hours of sleep. This dysregulation of ghrelin and leptin may lead to increased appetite and diminished feelings of fullness in people who are sleep-deprived.

Several studies have also indicated that sleep deprivation affects food preferences. Sleep-deprived individuals tend to choose foods that are high in calories and carbohydrates.

Sleep and Metabolism

Metabolism is a chemical process in which the body converts food and drink into energy. While activities like exercise can temporarily increase metabolism, sleep cannot. Metabolism actually slows by about 15% during sleep, reaching its lowest level in the morning.

Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation commonly leads to metabolic dysregulation. Poor sleep is associated with increased oxidative stress, glucose (blood sugar) intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), and insulin resistance. Extra time spent awake may increase the opportunities to eat, and sleeping less may disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to weight gain.

Sleep and Physical Activity

While researchers are still working to understand this connection, it's well known that exercise is essential to maintaining weight loss and overall health. Losing sleep can result in having less energy for exercise and physical activity. Feeling tired can also make sports and exercise less safe, especially activities like weightlifting or those requiring balance.

Getting regular exercise can improve sleep quality, especially if that exercise involves natural light. Even a short walk during the day may help improve sleep, but more activity can have a more dramatic impact. Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week can improve daytime concentration and decrease daytime sleepiness.

Sleep and Obesity

In children and adolescents, the link between not getting enough sleep and an increased risk of obesity is well-established, although the reason for this link is still being debated. Insufficient sleep in children can lead to metabolic irregularities, skipping breakfast in the mornings, and increased intake of sweet, salty, fatty, and starchy foods.

In adults, the research is less clear. While a large analysis of past studies suggests that people getting less than six hours of sleep at night are more likely to be diagnosed as obese, it's challenging for these studies to determine cause and effect. Obesity itself can increase the risk of developing conditions that interfere with sleep, like sleep apnea and depression. It's not clear if getting less sleep is the cause of obesity in these studies, if obesity is causing the participants to get less sleep, or perhaps a mix of both. Even though more studies are needed to understand this connection, experts encourage improving sleep quality when treating obesity in adults.

Tips for Quality Sleep During Weight Loss

• Keep a regular sleep schedule: Big swings in your sleep schedule or trying to catch up on sleep after a week of late nights can cause changes in metabolism and reduce insulin sensitivity, making it easier for blood sugar to be elevated.
• Sleep in a dark room: Exposure to artificial light while sleeping, such as a TV or bedside lamp, is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity.
• Don't eat right before bed: Eating late may reduce the success of weight loss attempts.
• Reduce stress: Chronic stress may lead to poor sleep and weight gain in several ways, including eating to cope with negative emotions.
• Be an early bird: People with late bedtimes may consume more calories and be at a higher risk for weight gain. Early birds may be more likely to maintain weight loss when compared to night owls.

Sleep and mental health

The Impact of Sleep on Mental Health

Research has shown that sufficient sleep, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, allows the brain to process emotional information. A lack of sleep is harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content, which can influence mood and emotional reactivity. It is also tied to mental health disorders and their severity, including the risk of suicidal ideas or behaviours.

Poor or insufficient sleep has been found to increase negative emotional responses to stressors and decrease positive emotions. It can make it harder to cope with even minor stressors and can impact our ability to perceive the world accurately. Sleep deprivation studies show that otherwise healthy people can experience increased anxiety and distress levels following poor sleep.

The Impact of Mental Health on Sleep

Mental health problems can also lead to poor sleep. For example, around 75% of depressed people show symptoms of insomnia, and many people with depression also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness and hypersomnia (sleeping too much). Sleep problems may become an added source of worry, creating anticipatory anxiety that makes it harder to fall asleep.

Bidirectional Relationship

The traditional view, that sleep problems were a symptom of mental health disorders, is increasingly being questioned. Instead, a bidirectional relationship is becoming apparent, in which sleeping problems may be both a cause and consequence of mental health issues.

Treatment

Steps to improve sleep may even form part of a preventive mental health strategy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of counselling that can help to improve both sleep and mental state. CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) has a proven track record in reducing sleeping problems and improving emotional well-being.

Adopting healthy sleep habits can also go a long way in reducing sleep disruptions. This includes having a set bedtime, finding ways to wind down before bed, avoiding alcohol, tobacco and caffeine in the evening, getting regular exercise and natural light exposure during the day, and blocking out excess light and sound.

Sleep and physical health

Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. It is vital for both mental and physical health and well-being.

Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining physical health. Different processes that occur during sleep help to promote healthy brain activity and maintain good overall health. A lack of high-quality sleep means your body has less time to recover at night, and your body's defences against diseases and medical conditions are lowered.

How Your Physical Health Impacts Your Sleep

A person's physical health can impact the quality and quantity of their sleep. Physical and mental illnesses can cause a person to fall short on sleep. Similarly, medications and supplements taken for health issues can negatively impact sleep duration and quality. Even a person who sleeps eight hours per night can become sleep-deprived if their sleep quality is poor.

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Physical Health

Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on physical health. When a person falls short on sleep, they face a higher risk of:

• Weight gain and obesity
• Injury from car crashes and work accidents
• Heart attack and stroke
• High blood pressure
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Depression and anxiety
• Reduced immunity and risk of infection

The Physical Benefits of Sleep

When a person who is sleep-deprived begins getting adequate sleep, the symptoms of sleep deprivation may be reversed. Restoring adequate sleep may improve mood, increase energy and attention, and improve overall well-being. The risk of car crashes or work accidents may also be reduced.

The Importance of Sleep Hygiene

There are many lifestyle changes that can help improve sleep quality and duration:

• Consistency: Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day can promote healthy sleep.
• Bedtime routine: Practising a nightly routine of calm activities can help prepare the body for sleep.
• Avoid blue light: Stop using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime, as these emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin, the sleep hormone.
• Exercise regularly: Daily exercise improves sleep quality and makes falling asleep easier.
• Create a sleep-friendly bedroom: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to improve sleep quality and duration.

Sleep and productivity

Sleep is an essential function that allows the body and mind to recharge, leaving us refreshed and alert when we wake up. Healthy sleep also helps the body stay healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly, impairing our ability to concentrate, think clearly, and process memories.

The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person and can change throughout our lifetime. Sleep guidelines offer a starting point for determining our sleep needs by providing research-backed recommendations for the ideal amount of sleep for optimal health.

In general, adults aged 18 and older are recommended to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, sleep needs can differ depending on factors such as activity level, health status, and age.

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation

Not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences for our health and productivity. Just one sleepless night can make it harder to focus and think clearly, and you may feel tired or sluggish during the day. Sleep deprivation can also make you more irritable and prone to exercising poor judgment.

Long-term sleep deprivation can suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart problems, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, and lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

Optimizing Sleep for Productivity

To ensure we get the optimal amount of sleep and improve our productivity, we can follow these tips:

• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends and vacations.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine to wind down before sleep.
• Make your bedroom environment cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable.
• Limit exposure to electronic devices and screens before bed.
• Avoid consuming caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine close to bedtime.
• Exercise regularly, preferably earlier in the day.
• Maintain a healthy weight, as excess weight can increase the risk of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.
• Consult a healthcare professional if you have ongoing sleep difficulties.

By prioritizing sleep and following healthy sleep practices, we can ensure we are getting the recommended amount of sleep, which will ultimately improve our productivity and overall well-being.

Sleep and age

Sleep requirements vary with age and typically stabilise around age 20.

• Newborns (birth to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours
• Infants (4 months to 12 months): 12 to 16 hours (including naptime)
• Young children (ages 1 to 5): 10 to 14 hours (including naptime)
• School-aged children (ages 6 to 12): 9 to 12 hours
• Teenagers (ages 13 to 18): 8 to 10 hours
• Adults (18 and older): 7 to 9 hours
• Seniors (65 years and older): 7 to 8 hours

These sleep amounts apply to most people but aren't universal. Some people need more sleep, and others need less. Variations in how much sleep you need may even be genetic. For example, some people can inherit the trait of being a "short sleeper" from a parent.

Additionally, personal circumstances and health status can also affect how much sleep you need. People who are sick, recovering from an injury or medical procedure, or pregnant, may need more sleep.

If you have questions about how much sleep you need, especially if it's different from the amount recommended for your age group, talk to a healthcare provider. They can help determine if there might be an underlying medical issue that needs to be addressed.

Frequently asked questions